Heavy Rainfall for Portions of the West and Central U.S.; Monitoring Fire Weather Conditions for New England

Tropical moisture continues to flow across portions of the Great Basin, desert Southwest and California. Isolated instances of flash flooding remains possible. Meanwhile, a storm and associated frontal boundary will focus showers and thunderstorms for the center of the nation. For New England, dry and breezy conditions could enhance favorable fire weather conditions. Read More >

With all the crazy weather in December and warmth preceding it, it’s hard to believe that January was several degrees below average. But, after the mid-December Derecho, we plunged right into the depths of winter, and January brought several episodes of snow and cold. While the cold was generally not record-breaking, it was consistently cold for most of the month. Snow and liquid equivalent precipitation was generally below average, though a rogue lake-effect snow event brought Duluth’s snow totals just above average. Drought status remains relatively unchanged per the US Drought Monitor, and Lake Superior’s water levels are now likely to remain below average as we go into spring.

Per CPC’s forecasts, the rest of February may feature cooler temperatures and higher precipitation than normal with drought persisting (but possibly improving going into spring).