ZCZC ARBCLMMQT
CSUS53 KMQT 042031 CCA

MONTHLY CLIMATOLOGICAL SUMMARY...CORRECTED TO ADD DATA FOR IRONWOOD
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARQUETTE MI                AND BARK RIVER
330 PM EDT MON FEB 4 2002

   ...JANUARY 2002 MONTHLY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR UPPER MICHIGAN...

...THIRD MONTH IN A ROW OF WELL ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES...
...FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER NO BELOW ZERO TEMPERATURES YET THIS 
WINTER SEASON AT IRON MOUNTAIN OR THE MARQUETTE NWS...
...WARMEST JANUARY AT IRON MOUNTAIN...
...SECOND WARMEST JANUARY AT THE MARQUETTE NWS...
...GENERALLY BELOW NORMAL PRECIPITATION AND SNOWFALL...
...SECOND DRIEST JANUARY AT IRON MOUNTAIN...

JANUARY CLIMATE STATISTICS FOR THE MARQUETTE NWS IN NEGAUNEE TOWNSHIP
                                    
                                    NORMAL   DEPARTURE
AVERAGE TEMPERATURE         21.3     12.4   PLUS    8.9
AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURE    28.1     20.9   PLUS    7.2
AVERAGE LOW TEMPERATURE     14.4      3.8   PLUS   10.6
HEATING DEGREE DAYS         1345     1646  MINUS    301
COOLING DEGREE DAYS            0        0             0
TOTAL PRECIPITATION         1.08     2.61  MINUS   1.53
TOTAL SNOWFALL              35.2     42.5  MINUS    7.0

HIGHEST TEMPERATURE:  44 ON 1/9
LOWEST TEMPERATURE:    1 ON 1/18 AND 1/19                 
GREATEST CALENDAR DAY PRECIPITATION:  0.21 ON 1/31
GREATEST 24 HOUR PRECIPITATION:       0.21 ON 1/31
GREATEST CALENDAR DAY SNOWFALL:        7.0 ON 1/29
GREATEST 24 HOUR SNOWFALL:             7.0 ON 1/29
PEAK WIND SPEED: 32 MPH FROM THE NORTHWEST ON 1/9

DAILY RECORD HIGH LOW TEMPERATURE ON 1/9: 33 (OLD RECORD 26...1975) 
DAILY RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE ON 1/9: 44 (43...1986) 
DAILY RECORD HIGH LOW TEMPERATURE ON 1/27: 27 (24...1973)
                 
                      JANUARY CLIMATE HIGHLIGHTS

THE SAME UPPER RIDGE OVER THE SOUTHEAST U.S. THAT HAS PERSISTED 
SINCE HALLOWEEN DOMINATED AGAIN IN THE FIRST MONTH OF 2002...AND 
JANUARY WAS THE THIRD MONTH IN A ROW OF RECORD OR NEAR RECORD 
WARMTH. ARCTIC AIR LURKED JUST NORTH OF THE CANADIAN BORDER MOST OF 
THE TIME...BUT A MORE WEST TO EAST UPPER FLOW ON THE NORTHERN FLANK 
OF THE RIDGE ADVECTED MILD PACIFIC AIR EASTWARD INTO THE U.S. AND 
PREVENTED THE COLD AIR FROM INTRUDING INTO THE GREAT LAKES EXCEPT 
FOR A FEW INTERVALS. 

JANUARY 2002 WILL GO DOWN IN THE RECORD BOOKS AS THE WARMEST ON 
RECORD AT IRON MOUNTAIN. THE 23.6 MEAN TEMPERATURE IN JANUARY 
DEMOLISHED THE OLD RECORD OF 21.0 RECORDED IN THE FIRST MONTH OF  
1990. AS WAS THE CASE AT MOST OTHER STATIONS...THE DEPARTURE OF THE 
MINIMUM TEMPERATURE FROM AVERAGE WAS MOST IMPRESSIVE...AN INCREDIBLE 
14.5 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE TEMPERATURE HAS 
BEEN RECORDED AT IRON MOUNTAIN...THE LOW NEVER WENT BELOW ZERO IN 
JANUARY. THE MARQUETTE NWS OBSERVED THE SECOND WARMEST JANUARY... 
WITH THE MEAN TEMPERATURE OF 21.3 LESS THAN A DEGREE SHORT OF THE 
22.0 DEGREE STANDARD ALSO SET IN 1990. LIKE IRON MOUNTAIN...THIS 
JANUARY SAW NO BELOW ZERO TEMPERATURE FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER. EVEN 
MORE IMPRESSIVE IS THAT NEITHER THE MARQUETTE NWS NOR IRON MOUNTAIN 
HAS RECORDED A BELOW ZERO TEMPERATURE YET THIS WINTER SEASON. THE 
FEWEST NUMBER OF DAYS DURING A COLD SEASON WITH A BELOW ZERO MINIMUM 
AT THE MARQUETTE NWS WAS 10 DURING THE BALMY WINTER OF 1997-98... 
WHEN A STRONG EL NINO IN THE EASTERN PACIFIC DOMINATED NORTH 
AMERICAN WEATHER. 

THE WEEKS OF 1/5 TO 1/12 AND 1/21 TO 1/27 WERE THE WARMEST PERIODS 
DURING THE MONTH. ALTHOUGH THE HIGHEST TEMPERATURE AT THE MARQUETTE 
NWS WAS ONLY 44 ON 1/9...THE LOW TEMPERATURES WERE SO MILD THAT MEAN 
TEMPERATURES DURING THESE WEEKS AVERAGED 16 DEGREES AND 12 DEGREES 
ABOVE NORMAL RESPECTIVELY. ARCTIC AIR DID PUSH DEEP INTO THE EASTERN 
U.S. BETWEEN 1/17 AND 1/19...AND TEMPERATURES AT DAWN ON 1/19 WERE 
BELOW ZERO AT SOME LOCATIONS. COLDER WEATHER ALSO RETURNED THE LAST 
FOUR DAYS OF THE MONTH...BUT TEMPERATURES THESE CLOSING DAYS OF 
JANUARY WERE JUST ABOUT NORMAL FOR THE SEASON.

THE LACK OF ARCTIC AIR RESULTED IN BELOW NORMAL LAKE EFFECT SNOW. 
SIGNIFICANT SNOWS FELL FROM ONTONAGON THROUGH THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA 
AND OVER THE SNOW BELTS OF ALGER AND LUCE COUNTIES DURING THE COLD 
AIR OUTBREAK ON 1/17-1/19 WITH A NUMBER OF STATIONS REPORTING MORE 
THAN 10 INCHES. HIGHER TERRAIN OVER THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA ALSO SOME 
10 INCH LAKE EFFECT SNOW AMOUNTS ON 1/28 INTO 1/29 AS THE COLDER AIR 
AT THE END OF MONTH PUSHED OVER THE WARMER WATERS OF LAKE SUPERIOR.

SINCE THERE WERE FEW SYNOPTIC STORMS AS WELL...PRECIPITATION AND 
SNOWFALL FOR THE MOST PART ENDED UP BELOW NORMAL...ESPECIALLY OVER 
THE CENTRAL INTERIOR. THE STRONGEST STORM SYSTEM OF THE MONTH PASSED 
THROUGH THE LOWER LAKES ON 1/14... AND ONLY THE SOUTHERN TIER ZONES 
RECORDED MORE THAN 3 INCHES OF THE WHITE STUFF...AS MUCH AS 8 INCHES 
AT MENOMINEE. JANUARY 2002 FINISHED AS THE SECOND DRIEST AT IRON 
MOUNTAIN AND THE NINTH DRIEST SINCE 1961 AT THE MARQUETTE NWS. THE 
EASTERN COUNTIES AND THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA SAW MORE LAKE EFFECT 
SNOW RELATIVE TO NORMAL...AND PRECIPITATION AND SNOWFALL IN THOSE 
PLACES WAS CLOSER TO NORMAL.

SOME OTHER TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION OBSERVATIONS ACROSS UPPER 
MICHIGAN IN JANUARY 2002 INCLUDE:

IRON MOUNTAIN...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 23.6 (11.2 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL)
                 (PREVIOUS WARMEST JANUARY 1990...21.0)
                PRECIPITATION 0.24 INCHES (1.21 INCHES BELOW NORMAL)
                 (JANUARY 1961 DRIEST...0.12 INCH)
                SNOWFALL 4.4 INCHES (12.4 INCHES BELOW NORMAL)

NEWBERRY...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 23 (ABOUT 7 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL)
           PRECIPITATION 1.81 INCHES (0.04 INCH BELOW NORMAL)
           SNOWFALL 25.9 INCHES (0.3 INCH BELOW NORMAL)

WATTON (BARAGA COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 20.6 DEGREES
                         PRECIPITATION 1.00 INCH
                         SNOWFALL 29.7 INCHES

BARK RIVER (DELTA COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 27.7 DEGREES
                            PRECIPITATION 0.60 INCH
                            SNOWFALL 10.2 INCHES

PHOENIX (KEWEENAW COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 21.1 DEGREES
                           PRECIPITATION 2.06 INCHES
                           SNOWFALL 57.0 INCHES

IRONWOOD...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 19.3 (9.6 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL)
           PRECIPITATION 0.83 INCHES (1.26 INCHES BELOW NORMAL)
           SNOWFALL 29.9 INCHES (16.0 INCHES BELOW NORMAL)

                      JANUARY WEATHER SUMMARY

THE PERSISTENT LAKE EFFECT SNOW THAT PLAGUED UPPER MICHIGAN DURING 
THE LAST WEEK OF DECEMBER CONTINUED INTO THE NEW YEAR AS A COLD 
NORTHWEST FLOW LINGERED AROUND LOW PRESSURE IN CANADA. ONTONAGON AND 
AREAS AROUND MUNISING PICKED UP AN ADDITIONAL 4 INCHES OF SNOW 
BEFORE A HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE AND DRIER AIR ENDED THE SNOW SHOWERS 
LATE ON 1/1. SKIES CLEARED OVERNIGHT...AND BY DAWN 1/2 THE MERCURY 
HAD FALLEN AS LOW AS 4 BELOW ZERO AT PAINT LAKE IN NORTHWEST IRON 
COUNTY AND ZERO AT IRONWOOD.

THE WEATHER WAS DRY ON 1/2 INTO 1/4 AS THE HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE 
DOMINATED THE NORTHWEST GREAT LAKES. THERE WAS AT LEAST SOME 
SUNSHINE EACH DAY...AND AFTERNOON READINGS GENERALLY ROSE INTO THE 
20S. BUT THE LACK OF SNOW COVER FROM SOUTHERN MENOMINEE COUNTY OVER 
TO ESCANABA ALLOWED TEMPERATURES THERE TO RISE INTO THE LOW 30S. 
OVERNIGHT LOWS FELL AS LOW AS 5 BELOW ZERO AT IRONWOOD AT DAWN ON 
1/4.

BUT AS THE HIGH SLIPPED OFF TO THE EAST ON 1/4 AND A TROUGH OF LOW 
PRESSURE APPROACHED FROM THE WEST...AN INCREASINGLY MILD SOUTHWEST 
FLOW DEVELOPED AND CLOUDS INCREASED BY 1/5. HIGH TEMPERATURES ON 1/5 
PEAKED INTO THE 30S...AND SOME LIGHT SNOW DEVELOPED AS THE TROUGH 
GOT CLOSER. BUT THE LIONS' SHARE OF THE SNOW OCCURRED IN THE COLD 
NORTHWEST FLOW BEHIND THE TROUGH LATE ON 1/5 INTO 1/6. LAKE EFFECT 
SNOW SHOWERS WERE HEAVIEST OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN FROM IRONWOOD TO 
THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA...AND OVER 12 INCHES OF THE WHITE STUFF 
ACCUMULATED AT BERGLAND IN ONTONAGON COUNTY BEFORE THE ACTIVITY 
DIMINISHED LATE ON 1/6. GUSTY WINDS CAUSED CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND 
DRIFTING SNOW...AND AN OBSERVER AT BESSEMER IN GOGEBIC COUNTY 
INDICATED NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS DURING THE AFTERNOON ON 1/6. SNOW 
AMOUNTS WERE MUCH LOWER FARTHER EAST...GENERALLY NO MORE THAN 6 
INCHES IN THE SNOW BELTS FROM BARAGA COUNTY TO NEWBERRY. AFTERNOON 
TEMPERATURES ON 1/6 REMAINED IN THE TEENS WHERE SNOW WAS FALLING 
OVER THE WEST...AND THE STRONG WINDS MADE THE AIR FEEL EVEN COLDER.

AS A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE MOVED INTO THE NORTHWEST GREAT LAKES 
EARLY ON 1/7...SKIES CLEARED OVER WESTERN UPPER MICHIGAN BEFORE 
DAWN. THE TEMPERATURE AT IRONWOOD PLUMMETED TO 3 BELOW ZERO. THIS 
RIDGE BROUGHT CLEARING TO ALL OF UPPER MICHIGAN ON 1/7...AND THE 
INCREASING SUNSHINE CAUSED TEMPERATURES DURING THE AFTERNOON TO RISE 
INTO THE 25 TO 35 RANGE.

AS AN UPPER RIDGE BUILT OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS AND THE WIND TURNED 
SOUTHWEST AFTER THE SURFACE HIGH MOVED EAST...MUCH WARMER AIR 
FLOODED INTO THE NORTHWEST GREAT LAKES BEGINNING ON 1/8. DESPITE 
INCREASING CLOUDS AHEAD OF A WARM FRONT... AFTERNOON READINGS ON 1/8 
ROSE INTO THE 30S AND EVEN AS HIGH AS 40 FROM IRONWOOD TO HOUGHTON. 
TEMPERATURES FELL JUST A FEW DEGREES OVERNIGHT INTO 1/9...AND 
MORNING LOWS REMAINED IN THE BALMY 25 TO 35 RANGE AS THE WARM FRONT 
SHIFTED NORTH INTO CANADA. THESE READINGS WERE AS MUCH AS 30 DEGREES 
ABOVE NORMAL AND IN MANY PLACES RECORD HIGH LOW TEMPERATURES FOR THE 
DATE. UPPER MICHIGAN REMAINED IN THE UNSEASONABLY WARM AIRMASS ON 
1/9...AND AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES SHOT UP TO 40 OR BETTER 
EVERYWHERE...IN MANY CASES BREAKING PREVIOUS DAILY RECORD HIGHS. 
OVER THE SOUTH WHERE LITTLE IF ANY SNOW REMAINED...READINGS ROSE UP 
TO 56 AT STEPHENSON IN MENOMINEE COUNTY...55 AT MENOMINEE...54 AT 
ESCANABA...52 AT CORNELL IN DELTA COUNTY...AND 50 AT IRON MOUNTAIN. 
DESPITE A SNOW DEPTH OF 6 INCHES...CHATHAM IN ALGER COUNTY ALSO 
REACHED 50 DEGREES. THE APPROACH AND PASSAGE OF A WEAK COLD FRONT 
ON 1/9 INTO 1/10 CAUSED SOME OCCASIONAL LIGHT RAIN TO BEGIN BY THE 
AFTERNOON ON 1/9. THE LIGHT PRECIPITATION CONTINUED OFF AND ON INTO 
1/10 BEFORE MIXING WITH SNOW AS COLDER AIR FINALLY BEGAN FILTERING 
INTO THE AREA. BUT TEMPERATURES REMAINED WELL ABOVE NORMAL WITH THE 
MERCURY FINALLY DROPPING INTO THE 20S BY DAWN ON 1/11.

SKIES CLEARED ON 1/11 AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILT IN BEHIND THE COLD 
FRONT. BUT THE HIGH WAS PACIFIC IN ORIGIN...AND AFTERNOON 
TEMPERATURES ON 1/11 ROSE WELL ABOVE NORMAL AGAIN...AS HIGH AS 44 AT 
STEPHENSON...WHERE THE GROUND REMAINED BARE OF SNOW...AND 43 IN 
DOWNTOWN MARQUETTE.

ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM APPROACHING FROM THE WEST RETURNED SNOW TO THE 
NORTHWEST HALF OF UPPER MICHIGAN BY DAWN ON 1/12...WHICH THEN SPREAD 
ACROSS THE REST OF THE AREA DURING THE DAY. THE GREATEST AMOUNTS 
FELL OVER HIGHER TERRAIN FROM THE PORCUPINE MOUNTAINS TO THE 
KEWEENAW PENINSULA. BY THE TIME THE PRECIPITATION DIMINISHED ON 
1/13...UP TO 10 INCHES HAD FALLEN AT ROCKLAND IN ONTONAGON COUNTY. 
THERE WAS UP TO 5 OR 6 INCHES OVER THE SNOW BELTS IN ALGER AND LUCE 
COUNTIES...BUT GENERALLY AN INCH OR LESS SOUTH OF IRON MOUNTAIN TO 
ESCANABA AND MANISTIQUE. PLENTY OF CLOUD COVER LINGERED THROUGH THE 
DAY ON 1/13...BUT JUST SOME FLURRIES AND LIGHT SNOW FELL.

SNOW DEVELOPED AGAIN OVER UPPER MICHIGAN EARLY ON 1/14 AS A LOW 
PRESSURE CENTER MOVED EAST ACROSS THE SOUTHERN GREAT LAKES. THE 
HEAVIEST SNOW FELL ACROSS THE COUNTIES BORDERING LAKE MICHIGAN... 
WHERE AN EAST WIND OFF THE LAKE WATERS ENHANCED SNOW FALL RATES. 
THERE HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN LITTLE SNOW HERE ALL WINTER...AND THE 
GROUND WAS BARE ACROSS SOUTHERN DELTA AND MENOMINEE COUNTIES BEFORE 
THIS ROUND OF WINTER WEATHER. ACCUMULATIONS ALONG THE LAKE SHORE 
RANGED FROM AS MUCH AS 8 INCHES AT MENOMINEE TO 3 OR 4 INCHES FROM 
ESCANABA TO MANISTIQUE. LOCATIONS FARTHER NORTH AND WEST PICKED UP 
ONLY 1 TO 3 INCHES.

LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS PREVAILED MAINLY OVER WESTERN UPPER 
MICHIGAN ON 1/15 AND 1/16 AS COLDER AIR IN THE WAKE OF THE 1/14 LOW 
PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVED IN FROM CANADA...AND MANY PLACES PICKED UP 
SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW. ALTHOUGH MOST LOCATIONS SAW TEMPERATURES 
BELOW FREEZING... READINGS CONTINUED ABOVE NORMAL FOR THE SEASON AS 
CLOUDS KEPT NOCTURNAL TEMPERATURES AS MUCH AS 15 TO 20 DEGREES ABOVE 
AVERAGE.

BUT AS THE COLDEST AIRMASS OF THE SEASON ARRIVED DURING THE 
OVERNIGHT ON 1/16 TO 1/17...THE LAKE EFFECT SNOW INTENSITY INCREASED 
AND CONTINUED INTO EARLY 1/18. SINCE THE WIND WAS MORE WEST TO 
NORTHWEST...THE HEAVIEST SNOW FELL FROM ONTONAGON NORTH THROUGH THE 
KEWEENAW PENINSULA AND EAST OF MARQUETTE. PELKIE IN BARAGA COUNTY... 
ROCKLAND...AND SHINGLETON IN ALGER COUNTY ALL MEASURED AT LEAST 10 
INCHES OF SNOW DURING THIS PERIOD. PLACES FARTHER INLAND AND IN 
NORTH CENTRAL UPPER MICHIGAN PICKED UP LITTLE SNOW...A FEW INCHES AT 
MOST.

AFTER SEVERAL WEEKS OF ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES THAT BEGAN JUST 
BEFORE THE ARRIVAL OF THE NEW YEAR...THE MERCURY ON 1/17 FINALLY 
FELL TO MORE NORMAL LEVELS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN JANUARY. AS THE 
COLDER AIR BECAME MORE DEEPLY ENTRENCHED...READINGS AT DAWN ON 1/19 
PLUMMETED AS LOW AS 8 BELOW ZERO AT BARAGA AND STEPHENSON. THE 
PERIOD 1/18 INTO 1/20 WAS ALSO A DRIER ONE...AND LIGHT LAKE EFFECT 
SNOW CONTINUED MAINLY OVER JUST THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA AND IN THE 
SNOW BELTS OF ALGER AND LUCE COUNTIES. PHOENIX OBSERVED A TOTAL OF 8 
INCHES OF FRESH SNOW DURING THESE THREE DAYS.

BUT THE COOL DOWN WAS SHORT LIVED. AS THE JET STREAM OVER THE EAST 
BEGAN TO PUSH BACK NORTH IN RESPONSE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN UPPER 
TROUGH OVER THE WEST...MILDER AIR BEGAN TO WORK BACK ON 1/20. 
TEMPERATURES CONTINUED WELL ABOVE NORMAL ON 1/21 INTO 1/25 EVEN 
THOUGH THE BOUNDARY SEPARATING THE MILDER AIR FROM VERY COLD AIR IN 
CANADA PUSHED BACK SOUTH ACROSS UPPER MICHIGAN ON 1/23. AFTERNOON 
READINGS ON THE WARM SIDE OF THIS BOUNDARY ON 1/22 CLIMBED WELL INTO 
THE 30S AND AS HIGH AS A BALMY 46 AT IRONWOOD AND 45 AT MENOMINEE 
AND STEPHENSON. THE CLOSE PROXIMITY OF THE FRONT SEPARATING THE TWO 
DIFFERENT AIRMASSES ALLOWED FOR SOME OCCASIONAL LIGHT SNOW IN AT 
LEAST SOME PLACES MOST OF THESE DAYS...BUT ONLY A FEW INCHES 
ACCUMULATED AT ANY ONE SPOT DURING AN OTHERWISE FAIRLY DRY PERIOD. 
SHINGLETON AND WETMORE IN THE LAKE EFFECT SNOW BELTS OF ALGER COUNTY 
RECORDED 2 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW FROM LATE ON 1/23 INTO 1/24 AS A 
STRONGER UPPER DISTURBANCE MOVING ALONG THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY TOUCHED 
OFF SOME HEAVIER SNOW SHOWERS THERE. AFTER UP TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW 
FELL ON PHOENIX IN THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA EARLY ON 1/25...THE 
WAVERING FRONTAL BOUNDARY PUSHED BACK NORTH. UNSEASONABLY WARM AIR 
AGAIN INVADED MOST OF UPPER MICHIGAN AND PUSHED TEMPERATURES ON 1/25 
INTO THE 40S...AS HIGH AS 49 AT STEPHENSON...48 AT MENOMINEE...46 AT 
IRON MOUNTAIN...AND 45 AT IRONWOOD. 

AS THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY SAGGED SOUTH AGAIN ON 1/26 AND 1/27... 
SOMEWHAT COLDER AIR SLIPPED INTO UPPER MICHIGAN. BUT TEMPERATURES 
CONTINUED WELL ABOVE NORMAL AND STILL REACHED 40 OR BETTER ACROSS 
THE SOUTHERN TIER COUNTIES ON 1/26. CONSIDERABLE CLOUD COVER KEPT 
NIGHTTIME MINIMUMS UNSEASONABLY MILD...AND TEMPERATURES BOTH DAYS 
WERE WELL ABOVE NORMAL. THE 27 DEGREE LOW AT THE MARQUETTE NWS ON 
1/27 BROKE THE PREVIOUS STANDARD OF 24 RECORDED ON 1/27/73 FOR A NEW 
DAILY RECORD HIGH LOW TEMPERATURE. THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA WAS DEEPER 
INTO THE COLD AIR DURING THESE TWO DAYS...AND THE TEMPERATURE AT 
PHOENIX FAILED TO REACH THE FREEZING MARK ON EITHER DAY. ONLY LIGHT 
SNOW OR FLURRIES FELL DURING THIS TIME.

BUILDING CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE PUSHED SEASONABLY COLD AIR INTO 
UPPER MICHIGAN TO CLOSE OUT THE MONTH. AS THE COLD AIR FLOODED INTO 
THE AREA ON 1/28...MODEST LAKE EFFECT SNOWS FELL ACROSS MAINLY THE 
NORTHWEST COUNTIES INTO EARLY 1/29. THE HILLS FROM DELAWARE IN 
KEWEENAW COUNTY TO CALUMET SAW 6 TO 10 INCHES OF SNOW...AND 4 TO 6 
INCHES BLANKETED THE HIGHER TERRAIN FROM MASS CITY IN ONTONAGON 
COUNTY THROUGH BARAGA COUNTY INTO MARQUETTE COUNTY. ONLY A FEW 
INCHES FELL IN THE LAKE EFFECT BELTS OF GOGEBIC...ALGER AND LUCE 
COUNTIES. ALTHOUGH THE LAKE SNOW SHOWERS TAPERED OFF ON 1/29... 
ANOTHER QUICK MOVING UPPER DISTURBANCE BROUGHT A MORE GENERAL 1 TO 3 
INCH SNOWFALL OVER UPPER MICHIGAN ON 1/29 INTO 1/30. THE WEATHER 
QUIETED DOWN ON 1/30 INTO 1/31 AS A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE BUILT 
INTO ONTARIO. BUT AS JANUARY CAME TO A CLOSE...A COMPLEX STORM 
SYSTEM APPROACHING FROM THE SOUTHWEST WAS SPREADING SNOW OVER UPPER 
MICHIGAN. JUST BEFORE MIDNIGHT ON 1/31...THE SNOW WAS PICKING UP IN 
INTENSITY WITH A QUICKENING NORTHEAST WIND.

     GREAT LAKES WATER LEVELS (FEET/METERS ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL)

                            LAKE SUPERIOR  LAKE MICHIGAN-HURON 
1/1/02  DAILY MEAN           601.3/183.28     577.5/176.02
1/31/02 DAILY MEAN           601.0/183.23     577.3/175.99
AVG DEC 2001 DAILY MEAN      601.4/183.30     577.6/176.05
AVG JAN 2001 DAILY MEAN      600.3/182.98     576.7/175.77
AVG 1918-98 JAN DAILY MEAN   601.5/183.35     578.6/176.35
MAXIMUM JAN DAILY MEAN       602.7/183.70     581.3/177.18
                                (1986)           (1987)
MINIMUM JAN DAILY MEAN       599.8/182.83     576.1/175.60 
                                (1926)           (1965)

GREAT LAKES WATER LEVEL DATA AS REPORTED BY THE U.S. ARMY CORPS OF 
ENGINEERS AT HTTP://HURON.LRE.USACE.ARMY.MIL/HMPGHH.HTML (ALL LOWER 
CASE).

                       FEBRUARY CLIMATOLOGY

ALTHOUGH DAYLIGHT LENGTHENS NOTICEABLY DURING FEBRUARY (580 MINUTES 
OF POSSIBLE SUNSHINE ON 2/1 TO 664 MINUTES ON 2/28)...WINTER USUALLY 
MAINTAINS ITS ICY GRIP ON UPPER MICHIGAN DURING FEBRUARY. IN FACT... 
THE LOWEST TEMPERATURE DURING THE YEAR OFTEN OCCURS IN THE SECOND 
MONTH. HUMBOLDT IN MARQUETTE COUNTY OBSERVED A FRIGID -49 LOW ON THE 
MORNING OF 2/10/1899...THE LOWEST READING EVER RECORDED IN UPPER 
MICHIGAN. THE FREQUENT ARRIVAL OF ARCTIC AIRMASSES CAN STILL CAUSE 
TEMPERATURES TO PLUNGE AS LOW AS 25 TO 35 BELOW ZERO EVEN DURING THE 
LAST WEEK OF THE MONTH. THE COLDEST FEBRUARY IN RECENT MEMORY WAS IN 
1994...WHEN TEMPERATURES ACROSS UPPER MICHIGAN AVERAGED ABOUT 8 
DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. DURING THAT COLD MONTH...THE MEAN TEMPERATURE 
AT IRONWOOD WAS A BRUTAL 6.5 DEGREES. BUT THAT WAS WARM COMPARED TO 
FEBRUARY 1936...WHEN IRONWOOD'S AVERAGE TEMPERATURE WAS -0.3 
DEGREES. 

BUT THE CONTINUED CLIMB OF THE SUN IN THE SOUTHERN SKY PROMISES THE 
END OF WINTER IS IN SIGHT AND THAT SPRINGTIME IS GETTING CLOSER. 
AVERAGE TEMPERATURES RISE STEADILY AFTER THE FIRST WEEK OF THE 
MONTH...FROM 12 ON 2/7 TO 17 ON 2/28 AT THE MARQUETTE NWS. DURING 
THE LAST HALF OF FEBRUARY...RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES REACH WELL INTO 
THE 50S AND 60S. THE LAST SEVERAL FEBRUARYS HAVE FEATURED UNUSUAL TO 
RECORD WARMTH. AT MANY SITES...INCLUDING THE MARQUETTE NWS AND 
HOUGHTON COUNTY AIRPORT...THE LAST THREE FEBRUARYS HAVE ALL FELL 
INTO THE TOP 10 WARMEST. IN FEBRUARY 2000...RECORD WARMTH AFTER 2/21 
CAUSED RAPID SNOW MELT...AND ICE JAM FLOODING WAS OBSERVED ON THE 
ONTONAGON RIVER. IN FACT...THE TEMPERATURE AVERAGED 39.3 DEGREES 
BETWEEN 2/22/2000 AND 2/29/2000 AT THE MARQUETTE NWS...MARKING THIS 
8-DAY PERIOD AS THE WARMEST IN THE SECOND MONTH SINCE RECORDS BEGAN 
IN 1961. BUT AT MOST LOCATIONS IN UPPER MICHIGAN...FEBRUARY 1998 
GOES DOWN IN THE RECORD BOOKS AS THE WARMEST FEBRUARY EVER. 
TEMPERATURES AT SOME PLACES ENDED THE MONTH AS MUCH AS 15 DEGREES 
ABOVE NORMAL AS A STRONG EL NINO AND ZONAL FLOW ALOFT PREVENTED THE 
NORMAL PARADE OF ARCTIC AIRMASSES FROM INVADING THE NORTHWEST GREAT 
LAKES. 

AVERAGE SNOWFALL OVER UPPER MICHIGAN DURING FEBRUARY IS LESS THAN IN 
JANUARY AS THE MEAN POSITION OF THE JET STREAM AND STORM TRACK MOVES 
A BIT FARTHER SOUTH. FALLING LAKE SUPERIOR WATER TEMPERATURES AND 
THE FORMATION OF ICE ON THE LAKE SOME YEARS ALSO REDUCES THE 
INTENSITY OF LAKE EFFECT SNOW. EVEN SO...THERE IS A SHARP DECREASE 
IN AVERAGE SNOWFALL FROM AREAS NEAR LAKE SUPERIOR TO INLAND 
LOCATIONS ALONG THE WISCONSIN BORDER. WHILE HOUGHTON TYPICALLY 
TALLIES ALMOST 33 INCHES OF THE WHITE STUFF...IRON MOUNTAIN WILL LOG 
ONLY 10 INCHES DURING A TYPICAL FEBRUARY. DURING THE COLD FEBRUARY 
OF 1989...THE HOUGHTON COUNTY AIRPORT RECORDED 89.8 INCHES OF SNOW. 
NOT ONLY WAS FEBRUARY 1998 THE WARMEST AT MANY LOCATIONS...IT WAS 
ALSO THE LEAST SNOWY AT MANISTIQUE (1.0 INCH)...IRONWOOD (2.8 
INCHES)...ONTONAGON (5.0 INCHES)...AND THE HOUGHTON COUNTY AIRPORT 
(5.5 INCHES). THE 3.0 INCHES THAT FELL AT NEWBERRY WAS THE SECOND 
LOWEST TOTAL DURING FEBRUARY...AND MUNISING'S 8.8 INCHES MARKED 
FEBRUARY 1998 AS THE THIRD LEAST SNOWY FEBRUARY THERE.

                         FEBRUARY FORECAST

THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER IS FORECASTING NEAR NORMAL 
TEMPERATURES AND PRECIPITATION FOR UPPER MICHIGAN DURING FEBRUARY 
2002. WATER TEMPERATURES IN THE EQUATORIAL EASTERN PACIFIC ARE NEAR 
NORMAL...SO NO EL NINO/LA NINA INFLUENCE WILL IMPACT UPPER MICHIGAN 
WEATHER. BUT THE SAME UPPER RIDGE THAT HAS DOMINATED OVER THE 
SOUTHEAST IN RECENT MONTHS IS EXPECTED TO LIMIT ARCTIC AIR 
INTRUSIONS INTO THE UNITED STATES.

                 OUTLOOK FOR LATE WINTER AND SPRING

THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER IS FORECASTING NEAR NORMAL 
TEMPERATURES AND PRECIPITATION OVER UPPER MICHIGAN FOR THE PERIOD 
MARCH THROUGH MAY 2002. WATER TEMPERATURES IN THE EQUATORIAL EASTERN 
PACIFIC ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN NEAR NORMAL THROUGH THE SPRING. BUT 
THERE ARE SIGNS WATER TEMPERATURES WILL INCREASE ABOVE NORMAL THIS 
SUMMER. ALTHOUGH THERE IS SOME UNCERTAINTY AS TO HOW MUCH THE 
TEMPERATURE WILL INCREASE...THE CPC AT THIS TIME IS NOT FORECASTING 
THIS EL NINO TO BE AS STRONG AS THE 1997-98 EVENT THAT SIGNIFICANTLY 
DISRUPTED WEATHER PATTERNS IN NORTH AMERICA AND THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.

CHECK OUT HTTP://WWW.CPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT 
THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER AND MORE LONG RANGE PREDICTIONS.
  
NOTE THAT STATISTICS FOR THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN 
NEGAUNEE TOWNSHIP ARE BASED ON RECORDS WHICH BEGAN IN OCTOBER 1961. 
THIRTY YEAR NORMALS USED ARE FOR THE PERIOD OF 1971 THROUGH 2000. 
NOTE ALL TEMPERATURES ARE IN FAHRENHEIT AND PRECIPITATION IS IN 
INCHES.

NWS MARQUETTE WEB PAGE IS AT HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/MQT/INDEX.HTM 
(ALL LOWER CASE).

KC/GM

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