NOTE – Rainfall and temperature information is based on data kept at Milford Lake by the Corps of Engineers. For more information contact Chuck Otte,
238-4161.
February 2016 Weather Summary
If you have received your heating bill for February, you already know that
February was much warmer than normal. Unfortunately, after some
precipitation early in the month, it also became drier than normal which has
caused some wild fire concerns as we head on in to a normally windy March.
The average daily high in February was 51.5, 7.2 degrees above normal. The
average overnight low was 29.1, 7.2 degrees above normal. This statistical
fluke very rarely happens. The average daily high and low rarely deviate from
the norm by the same amount. So the monthly mean temperature was 40.3
and of course, that was 7.2 degrees above normal! The highest temperature
for the month was 76 degrees on the 18th. This broke the record for that
date. The old record was 70 degrees set in 2014. The coldest temperature
for the month was 16 degrees on the 3rd and again on the 13th. The
overnight low of 37 on the 1st tied the record high low temperature for that
date. The record was originally set in 1960. There were no other records set
for the month. The monthly mean temperature of 40.3 tied February of 1991
for the seventh warmest February on record. The warmest February was in
1954 with a monthly mean temperature of 46.3 degrees. The coldest
February was in 1979 when we had a chilly monthly mean temperature of
only 17.6 degrees. With winter rapidly waning it appears that we may go
through a second winter in a row when we do not record a low temperature
below zero. The last time we officially recorded a sub zero reading was
March 3, 2014 when the morning low was -4.
The area experienced a little rain and snow the first few days of February
and then the spigot appeared to have been turned off. Normal February
precipitation is 1.12 inches. Milford Lake received 0.43 inches and Junction
City 0.44 inches for the month. Normal year to date precipitation is 1.77
inches. Milford Lake has received 1.16 inches year to date and Junction City
1.20 inches. Normal snowfall for February is 4.7 inches. The area received
0.2 inches in February. Average seasonal snowfall through February is 14.1
inches. Season to date this year we have had 6.6 inches of snow.
March brings the official start of spring, warmer temperatures, increasing
rainfall, we hope, and plants start to come out of winter dormancy bringing
some much anticipated green to the countryside. Average daily highs during
March range from 49 on the first to 61 by the end of the month. Overnight
lows start the month at 25 and by the 31st have risen to 37. Average March
precipitation is 2.34 inches. March can also bring us some of our heaviest
snowstorms, although the average March snowfall is just 3.1 inches.