February also kicked off on a warm note with above normal temperatures through the first 8 days. Temperatures fell off after that, fluctuating between above and below normal. The coldest temperature of 2020 occurred on the morning of the 14^th at -16 F. The average temperature for February finished around it’s normal. Snowfall for the month was a few inches above it’s normal, but the bulk of it came from one storm. 8.5” of snow fell on the 9^th, accounting for nearly 75% of the month’s total. Measurable snow fell on only 4 more days, none amounting to more than 2”. And while precipitation was right at the February normal, measurable precipitation fell on only 4 days (average is 8) – or 14% of the time.

March was mild by its standards, rounding out 5 ½ degrees above normal. Temperatures were only below normal on 5 days. The first 60 degree day of 2020 fell on the 8^th (65 F), a couple weeks earlier than average. Precipitation for the month was almost an inch above normal with measurable precipitation falling on 13 days (average is 10). Minor amounts were recorded on most of those days with only 2 registering more than ¼ inch. Snowfall was sparce for a March with only 1.4” inches falling (normal is over 7”). It was the least amount of snow in March since 2012 and 18^th least snowy on record.

Unlike the previous months, April was relatively cool, especially at mid-month. Average temperatures were below normal from the 9^th through the 21^st on all but 2 days, with highs only in the 30s on 14^th and 15^th (right on the normal low temperatures for mid-April).  Temperatures did fluctuate quite a bit, as spring months tend to do. Highs ranged from a low of 35 on the 14^th to a high of 73 on the 27^th. Overall, the month was over 1 ½ degrees below its normal. It was a dry April by its standards with only 1.63” falling (nearly 1 ¾ inch below normal). Much of what did fall came on two days, with the 3^rd and 12^th accounting for nearly 75% of the monthly total.  The cool conditions helped support some snowfall with measurable snows falling on 3 days. While not a lot at only 2.5”, it was about an inch above normal and actually more than what fell in March – rare, having occurred only 14 other times on record for La Crosse.  The last measurable snowfall for the 2019-20 winter season came on the 13^th with 0.2”.

Aside from a few mild days to start the month, the first 2 weeks of May were cool. Average temperatures were below normal from the 4^th through the 13th, with lows in the 30s on 7 of those (only 29 on the 9^th). The last freezing temperature of the 2019-2020 winter season fell on the morning of the 12^th (31), a couple weeks past what happens in an average season.  Temperatures would warm back to, or generally above the May normals after that, helping it finishing right around what’s. Precipitation was below normal in May, thanks to a dry first half. There were 5 days with measurable rainfall through the 16^th, but they only amounted to 0.28”. Measurable rains would fall on 8 more days after that for an additional 3”, moving the month closer to its normal. 

August continued the warm trend for the summer rounding out nearly 3 degrees above its normal. Highs made it to 90 degrees or warmer on 10 days, tied for 8th most for an August and well above the average of 4 days. The hottest period was a 6 day stretch from the 23rd through the 28th when temperatures averaged over 82 degrees. Precipitation was close to the August normal, mostly thanks to a couple days with heavy rain at month’s end. Almost 3 inches of rain fell over the last 4 days of August – accounting for over 70% of the month’s total - with nearly 2 inches on the 31st alone. Prior to that, there were only 7 days with measurable rainfall with 5 of those recording less than 1/10 of an inch.

The summer of 2020 would be one of the warmest on record for La Crosse with an average of 74.7 degrees marking it as the 3^rd warmest. 90 degrees or greater were reached on 28 days, tied for 8^th most in a summer.

September brought an end to the warm summer weather, and while it would finish at its normal, there was a lot of variety throughout the month. Highs made it to 80 or greater on 7 days, but failed to warm out of the 60s on 10 days (staying in the 50s for three of those!). Precipitation was also right on what is normally expected for September, although this too showed quite a bit of diversity. It was a rainy for the early part of the month as measurable rains fell on 6 out of 7 days from the 6th through the 12th (over 2”). It would dry out from there until the 24th (only one day with 0.01”) when thunderstorms dropped 1.33”.

October would bring the chill of autumn to the area averaging over 4 degrees below normal. The cold really settled in for the last half of the month as highs failed to warm out of the 40s on 12 days (tied for 8th most in an October), with 5 of those only struggling into the 30s (tied for 5 most). In fact, from the 16th to month’s end temperatures only averaged 37.6 degrees, marking it as the 5th coldest second half to an October in La Crosse. That said, October did let summer in for a brief appearance, recording the last 80 degree day of the year on the 9th (85). Precipitation was over ½ inch below normal, thanks in part to a dry start to the month (around 1/10” from the 1st through 11th). Rain would come a bit more often after that, but still the bulk of the monthly total would come on only 2 days (1.12” on the 12th and 22nd). The first snowflakes of the new snowfall season would fly on the 20th, quickly followed by the first measurable snow on the 25th when 2” fell (the first measurable snowfall usually waits until the second week of November).

November got off to a very mild start with highs well into the 70s for the 3rd through 9th. Reality set in after that as temperatures fell back in line with seasonable normals. However, that warm start helped November finish almost 6 degrees above normal and made it the 8th warmest November on record for La Crosse. Precipitation was a bit below normal and only measured on 6 days. However, over ½” fell on 3 of those which also accounted for 96% of the monthly total. There were a few days with flurries, otherwise just one day of measurable snow on the 24th (1”).

December wrapped up 2020 on a mild and somewhat dry note. Temperatures were above normal on all but 5 days for the month, while highs topped 50 on 3 days. Meanwhile, low temperatures fell below zero only once (-1 on the 25^th), well under the average of 5 such days. December got off to a very dry start, not recording any measurable precipitation until the 23^rd.  In fact, that was the driest start to a December in La Crosse on record. The last week would try and make up for that with measurable precipitation falling on 5 days with 4.6 inches of snow. Still, both monthly precipitation and snowfall were less than half of what typically occurs.