Highlights:Colder-than-normal weather prevailed virtually nationwide, holding weekly readings at least 10 degrees F below normal across much of the nation's mid-section and as much as20 degrees F below normal on the deeply snow-covered central High Plains.Elsewhere, mild weather returned to California, while bitterly cold air swept across areas from the northern and central Plains into the Northeast.Late-week temperatures dipped below
-10 degrees F as far south as eastern Colorado and fell to near -30 degrees F in northeastern North Dakota and northern Minnesota. Farther south, the coldest weather of the season arrived in Florida on January 30, but temperatures were not low enough to significantly threaten citrus or other winter crops.A few days later, rain arrived across the South, providing additional drought relief in parts of the southern Atlantic region.However, tornadoes swept across central Florida on February 2, resulting in 20 fatalities and marking the state's deadliest outbreak since February 22-23, 1998.Although the severe thunderstorms raked the northern fringe of Florida's winter agricultural region, there was only localized damage to the region's farm interests.Weekly precipitation totaled less than an inch across the remainder of the U.S., except for some heavy showers in coastal southern California. Western water-supply concerns mounted, especially from the Sierra Nevada into parts of the Southwest, due to forecasts for below-normal spring and summer runoff from meager high-elevation snow packs.Farther east, light snow fell across the northern Plains in advance of a cold outbreak, leaving over wintering wheat with a patchy, shallow protective snow cover.In contrast, a substantial snow cover persisted on the central High Plains, aiding winter wheat but maintaining stress on winter-weary livestock. Meanwhile, Midwestern precipitation was confined to areas downwind of the Great Lakes, aside from occasional light snow and flurries. Midwestern livestock also experienced stressful conditions due to sharply colder weather and field conditions that ranged from frozen across the southern Corn Belt to a shallow to moderate snow cover across the remainder of the region.
Early in the week, chilly weather settled into Florida.On January 29, high temperatures remained below 50 degrees F as far south as Daytona Beach (49 degrees F).The following morning in Ft. Myers, FL, the low of 38 degrees F was its lowest reading since February 14, 2006, when it was 35 degrees F.Farther north,Massena, NY (-22 degrees F), posted a daily-record low for January 30.Periodic, locally heavy snow squalls developed downwind of the Great Lakes and continued through week's end. Daily-record snowfall totals included 8.0 inches (on January 30) in South Bend, IN, and 11.3 inches (on February 3) in Grand Rapids, MI.Williamsport, PA, received 1.8 inches of snow on January 30, representing its first 1-inch accumulation of the 2006-07 season (previously, 1.7 inches fell in five separate events from January 10-28).
In late January and early February, snow, sleet, and freezing rain spread from the southern Plains into the Southeast.Daily-record snowfall totals included 1.9 inches (on January 31) in Tulsa, OK, and 1.0 inch (on February 1) in Charlotte, NC, Greenville-Spartanburg, SC, and Huntsville, AL.Farther south, daily rainfall records for February 1 were established in locations such as Tallahassee, FL (3.95 inches), and Alma, GA (1.76 inches). Daily-record warmth returned to Florida by February 2, when highs reached 89 degrees F in Ft.Lauderdale and 88 degrees F in West Palm Beach.
Florida's two deadly tornadoes, which struck between 3 and 4 a.m. on February 2, tore across Sumter/Lake and Lake/Volusia Counties, respectively.Both had estimated winds in the vicinity of 160 m.p.h.The Sumter/Lake tornado struck The Villages and LadyLake, causingseven fatalities in the latter community.The second tornado caused 13 fatalities in northeastern LakeCounty, many of them near LakeMack.Florida had not suffered a tornado-related fatality since September 15, 2004, the day before Hurricane Ivan made landfall.During the February 1998 severe weather event, Florida's deadliest tornado outbreak on record, 42 deaths--including 25 in Kissimmee--were attributed to five twisters.
At week's end, the coldest air of the season swept across the northern Plains and the Midwest.Some snow preceded and accompanied the cold surge, with records for February 2 set in locations such as White Sulphur Springs, MT (6.3 inches), and Lexington, KY (2.2 inches).Elsewhere on February 2, daily-record lows were set as far south as Colorado, where readings included -18 degrees F in Denver and -15 degrees F in Yuma.On February 3, winds associated with the leading edge of the Arctic surge gusted to 56 m.p.h. in Lima, OH, and 54 m.p.h. in both Benton Harbor, MI, and Fort Wayne, IN.By Sunday morning, February 4, Grand Forks, ND, posted a daily record-tying low of -29 degrees F, which was its coldest day since January 17, 2005 (-37 degrees F).Farther west, however, temperatures finally returned to above-normal levels in the Great Basin.For example, Saturday was the last of 30 consecutive days (January 5 - February 3) with below-normal daily average temperatures in Elko, NV.
High winds affected Hawaii in late January, when a pair of storm systems passed northwest of the islands.On Oahu, gusts during the two events (on January 29 and 31, respectively) were clocked to 61 and 69 m.p.h. at the Schofield Fire Break and 73 and 67 m.p.h. on Makua Ridge.The storminess produced 2.44 inches of rain in a 24-hour period on January 29-30 in Kokee, Kauai, and interrupted an otherwise quiet weather regime.Similar totals were reported on the BigIsland on February 1-2, when the UpoluAirport received 2.28 inches in a 24-hour period.However, dry air settled across Hawaii by week's end, setting the stage for a daily-record low (54 degrees F on February 4) in Kahului, Maui.Farther north, incredible, mid-winter warmth prevailed in Alaska, boosting weekly temperatures more than 30 degrees F above normal at several mainland locations.Healy (54 degrees F on January 31) posted a monthly record high, eclipsing its mark of 52 degrees F, set on January 15, 1981.Meanwhile, Bethel notched daily-record highs on January 29-30 (41 and 47, respectively) and February 1 (46 degrees F).Bethel's high of 47 degrees F represented its highest January reading since January 17, 1963 (48 degrees F), and its high of 46 degrees F marked its highest February reading since February 8, 1947 (47 degrees F).Elsewhere in Alaska, Nome collected four consecutive daily-record highs (42, 38, 40, and 41 degrees F) from January 30 - February 2.Meanwhile, significant precipitation was confined to southern Alaska, where Kodiak netted a weekly rainfall of 5.40 inches.With a 3.40-inch sum on January 29, Kodiak also experienced its second-wettest January day, behind 4.79 inches on January 9, 1998.