Rainfall 2021 vs 2002: April 1 to May 5

Rainfall this spring has overall been above normal.  Using NOAA MRMS radar data from the Iowa Mesonet Site here is a county by county breakdown of total rainfall over this 35 day period comparing this year to last year

Legend for each graphic below (2" to 7")

Mansfield, Ashland, Wayne, Holmes Counties

Lake, Ashtabula Counties

Cuyahoga County

Erie County

Geauga County

Huron County

Lorain, Medina Counties

Summit, Portage Counties

Stark County

Tuscarawas County

November 2021 Recap: Where Did The Temperatures End Up?

After a super warm October around most of the country, November featured more periods of "cold" across the eastern US.

First the October temperatures vs average

Now the November temperatures vs average (US)

Breaking down November into weekly periods you can see how variable the temperatures were as the split jet stream shifted week to week.  First week was colder than normal (lower left) across eastern US. The cold backed off the second week as the jet weakened as it lifted back into central Canada (upper right)

Third week featured the return of the northern jet across the northern states (upper left below) with colder periods more frequent (lower left).  By November 16-18, southern jet became stronger with a more uniform northern jet more southeast. The result was warmer temps out west with more sustained colder temps eastern US (lower right)

A close up look at the northern US/Great Lakes shows the sharp contrast between temperature regimes.

Max temperatures & Minimum temperatures vs average. 

So far most of the lake effect communities across the Great Lakes have had slightly above normal snowfall.

Overall snowfall across the US is below last year

Next post we'll take a look at what December is looking like!

What does EVERY weather watch & warning look like?

Scroll down to the bottom of the graphic and then look left to right. Graphic starts January 1 on the left and ends October 4th 2021. Enjoy! 

Updated Rainfall vs Normal Since Early May

The first two weeks of May ended up above normal with the exception of Lake, Ashtabula and portions of Geauga counties. Rainfall averaged more than 1" above normal for 60% of the area.

Between May 15 and 31st conditions dried out significantly. More than 1" below normal during the second half of May for most areas.

The first week of June the frequency of more hyper-local rainfall has gone up.  Deficits are still widespread as of this writing (June 7).

This week, the Sonoran High (western ridge) and the Bermuda High sandwiched the central US low which has stalled allowing for disturbances to rotate around the low and into the Ohio Valley producing frequent afternoon/evening slow moving storms. Animation is from Monday through Thursday.

Dewpoints reached 70 for the first time this year.

Noon dew points, Tuesday June 8

Afternoon storms Monday, June 7 were heavy in spots. Around 60-70% coverage (1/4" or more) with15% of the area (1" or more) most of which centered in portions of Lake, Portage and southern Stark, northern Tuscarawas counties.

Total system rainfall forecast (not counting local storms) through Friday June 11.

Angry Lake Erie and Unseasonably Cold Temperatures

 

Strong NE winds developed Thursday and Friday which piled up water in the western basin of Lake Erie. Video above is from Kelley's Island Friday courtesy Todd Neu.

Wave heights reached 10-15 feet before they settled down Saturday and Sunday

The low resembled a late fall, cut-off system. You can see how it developed over the upper midwest and then stalled in the southern Great Lakes.

Temperature started out 20+ degrees below normal Saturday morning across the Great Lakes.

High temperatures Saturday stayed in the lower 50s north and upper 50s south. Temperatures this cool (under 55) don't happen very often this late in the year.