Finally, We've Hit 30! Are You Wearing Shorts Yet?

The weekend of February 23 - 24 ended up being pretty nice across the Chippewa Valley.  Yeah, the sun came out, and yes we are gaining daylight.  But, the temperature actually surpassed the 30 degree mark!  Before this winter started, I never would have imagined that I would be so happy, along with many Wisconsinites, that 30 degrees would be so welcoming.  And the great news is: It looks like it will try to stick around!

I did some number crunching in earlier shows, but I would like to post them on the blog.  Since December 1st, there have been 86 days.  (Side note: December 1st in the Meteorology field is considered the beginning of the winter season, though winter officially starts December 21st.)  About 74 of those days, our high temperatures were below freezing.  And, about 40 of those days had overnight low temperatures below zero.  That means 86% of this winter has been below freezing, with 47% of the nights having temperatures below zero!  Now, I bet you're saying, "No kidding Nick, it is winter in Wisconsin!"  But, compare these values to the past couple of winters that we've had here, and the percentages for the winter of '07-'08 are 30%+ against past winters.  These are interesting facts, but I am ready to retire the cold graphics and bring on the warm graphics.

There is one more thing I wanted to blog about, and I would like readers to feel welcome to comment.  My dad, who is 61, said that for anyone who is younger than about 35, this winter has been one of the worst that they can remember; that is, if they've lived here their entire life.  To me, I've never felt consistent cold and seen so many storm systems pass through the Midwest.  I remember the winter of 1994 and 1996 - those were very cold winters.  But yet, I've talked to many in the Baby Boomer generation, and they always say that this is just a taste of what it used to be like, especially in the 1970s, where temperatures were far below zero for two to three weeks straight.  But these days, do we judge how "bad" a winter is by events 30 years ago, or do we compare it to recent winter seasons?

Thanks for reading and enjoy the sunshine!

Meteorologist Nick Grunseth

Comments

[Brian]

I can't wait for the warm weather!