Weather

February 2018 and Winter 2017-2018 St. Cloud Weather Summary


February St. Cloud Records
10 Warmest Winters
February Coldest Winter Month by Far

February 2018 and Winter 2017-2018 Saint Cloud, MN, Weather Summary

Note: This is a summary of meteorological winter, which is defined as the three coldest months of the year (1 December through 29 February). Astronomical winter ends on the spring equinox, which will be on March 20 this year. That's the day when we get back to 12 hours of daylight. Also, note that the cold season can be used to refer to the part of the year when Minnesota can get snow (typically Oct-Apr, but can be longer) or the heating season (July 1-June 30). No, the groundhog doesn't work in Minnesota.

After a modestly mild December and a modestly cold January, February ended up being the coldest month in the 2017-2018 winter. According to the statistics from the St. Cloud Airport, the temperature averaged 9.4 °F, 7.6°F colder than average, and the 27th coldest February in St. Cloud records, which date back to 1896. The average February low temperature was -3.1°F, 10.3°F below average. Over the past 38 years, only Feb. 2014 (-5.5 deg), Feb. 2001 (-5.1 deg) and Feb 1989 (-7.1 deg) were colder than the low in February 2018.

St. Cloud added 17 days with a low of zero or colder during the month, which was more days than during the entire mild winter of 2015-2016. This brought the cold season toatl to 41 days, three more than average. During the past 16 winters, there have been only 5 winters with at least 41 lows of zero or colder. This represents how rare cold winters have been during recent winters. There were no further days that stayed at zero or colder all day, so the 2017-2018 cold season finished with 5 such days, only one of 4 winters with at least 5 such days since 2001. The average number is 4.

The coldest temperature in February was -19 degrees, so the number of days with a -20 or colder low was 2 days with the coldest low being -24 on December 31. The coldest high was -8 on December 30.

The other main change from earlier in the winter was the succession of snowstorms. Through February 18, the St. Cloud Prison was nearly 11 inches below average in snow for the season. But, the last 10 days of February produced 13.2 inches of snow, including 6.0 inches on February 25. It was also St. Cloud's first daily snow of at least 5 inches since November 30, 2015 (St. Cloud has added a second 6.0 inch snowfall day on March 5, which did break the daily record). The February total snowfall was 16.1 inches in St. Cloud, the 11th snowiest February in St. Cloud records. February 2018 fell 0.4 inches short of tying February 1953 for 10th place. The most recent years among the 10 snowiest are 17.8 inches in 2001 (8th place) and 16.8 inches in 2013 (9th place). The February record is 21.6 inches, set in 1971.

The snowfall has continued into early March, as noted above. The seasonal snowfall through March 12 is 39.5 inches, more than an inch above average (38.2 inches) and more snow than in any of the past three cold seasons.

The liquid included in the snowfall was 1.40 inches in February, more than double the 0.59 inch average and about 70 percent of the winter total of 2.08 inches.

Cold and snowy weather dominated the Northern Rockies and the Plains from Montana and Wyoming through the Dakotas into Minnesota. However, this was in contrast to the generally milder than average temperatures seen in the US during February and the whole winter. The East Coast and the West had warmer than average temperatures while the Northern Rockies and Northern Plains were colder than average with above average snowfall, especially in the Northern Rockies. A series of low pressure systems that strengthened as they moved from the Northern Rockies into the Plains ensured plenty of cold season precipitation. There have been some significant snowstorms in the Northeast, but the snow has been followed by rapid thawing.

One of the hot spots was Alaska, which was more than 9 degrees warmer than average for the winter, especially along the North Slope of the Arctic Ocean.

February St. Cloud Records
10 Warmest Winters

February 2018 Statistics

Temperatures (°F)
Feb 2018
Normal
Average High Temperature (°F)
21.9
26.8
Average Low Temperature (°F)
-3.1
7.2
Mean Temperature for February (°F)
9.4
17.0
   
February Extremes
Temperature(°F)
Date
Warmest High Temperature for Feb 2018 (°F)
44
Feb. 28
Coldest High Temperature for Feb 2018 (°F)
3
Feb. 4
Warmest Low Temperature for Feb 2018 (°F)
12
Feb. 19
Coldest Low Temperature for Feb 2018 (°F)
-19
Feb. 6
Record Temperatures in February 2018
Temperature(°F)
Date
Old Record
No records set      
Temperature Thresholds
Number of Days
Normal
February 2018 Days with High Temperatures <= 32°F
10
20.0
February 2018 Days with High Temperatures <= 0°F
0
0.8
February 2018 Days with Low Temperatures <= 32°F
27
27.8
February 2018 Days with Low Temperatures <= 0°F
2
12.2
February 2018 Days with Low Temperatures <= -20°F
0
2.9
Liquid Equivalent Precipitation (in)
Feb 2018
Normal
February 2018 Saint Cloud Airport Melted Precipitation (in)
1.40 inch
0.59
February Extremes
Precipitation (in)
Date
Most Daily Precipitation in February 2018
0.58 inch (rain)
Feb 24
Record Precipitation in February 2018
Precipitation (in)
Date
Old Record
No records set
Precipitation Thresholds
Number of Days
Normal
February 2018 Days with Measurable (>= 0.01 inch) Precipitation
8
5.7
February 2018 Days with >= 0.10 inch Precipitation
5
2.1
February 2018 Days with >= 0.25 inch Precipitation
2
0.8
February 2018 Days with >= 0.50 inch Precipitation
1
0.3
February 2018 Days with >= 1.00 inch Precipitation
0
0.0
Snowfall (in)
Feb. 2018
Normal
February 2018 Saint Cloud Airport Snowfall (in)
16.1
7.0
Snowfall Thresholds
Number of Days
Normal
February 2018 Days with Measurable (>= 0.1 inch) Snowfall
8
5.7
February 2018 Days with >= 1.0 inch Snowfall
6
2.6
February 2018 Days with >= 2.0 inch Snowfall
2
1.4
February 2018 Days with >= 5.0 inch Snowfall
1
0.2
February Extremes
Snowfall (in)
Date
Most Daily Snowfall (in) in February 2018
6.0
February 24
Record Snowfall (in) in February 2018
Snowfall (in)
Date
Old Record
No records set      
February St. Cloud Records
10 Warmest Winters

Winter (Dec 1-Feb 28) 2017-2018 Statistics

Temperatures (°F)
Winter 2017-2018
Normal
Average High Temperature (°F)
22.3
24.2
Average Low Temperature (°F)
2.8
5.3
Mean Temperature for Winter (°F)
12.5
14.8
 
Winter Extremes
Temperature
Date
Warmest High Temperature for Winter 2017-2018 (°F)
50
Dec 4, 2017
Coldest High Temperature for Winter 2017-2018 (°F)
-8
Dec 30, 2017
Warmest Low Temperature for Winter 2017-2018 (°F)
32
Jan 10, 2018
Coldest Low Temperature for Winter 2017-2018 (°F)
-24
Dec 31, 2017
Temperature Thresholds
Number of Days
Normal

Cold Season 2017-2018
Days with High Temperatures <= 32°F

74
87.6

Cold Season 2017-2018
Days with High Temperatures <= 0°F

5
4.3

Cold Season 2017-2018
Days with High Temperatures <= -10°F

0
0.6

Cold Season 2017-2018
Days with Low Temperatures <= 32°F

129
170.4

Cold Season 2017-2018
Days with Low Temperatures <= 0°F

41
42.7

Cold Season 2017-2018
Days with Low Temperatures <= -20°F

2
5.4

Cold Season 2017-2018
Days with Low Temperatures <= -30°F

None since January 16, 2009

0
0.6
Liquid Equivalent Precipitation (in)
Winter 2017-2018
Normal
Saint Cloud Airport Winter Melted Precipitation (in)
2.02
2.18
Precipitation Thresholds
Number of Days
Normal
Winter 2017-2018
Days with Measurable (>= 0.01 inch) Precipitation
21
19.4
Winter 2016-2017
Days with >= 0.10 inch Precipitation
7
6.5
Winter 2016-2017
Days with >= 0.25 inch Precipitation
2
2.3
Winter 2016-2017
Days with >= 0.50 inch Precipitation
1
0.6
Winter 2016-2017
Days with >= 1.00 inch Precipitation
0
0.0

 

Snowfall (in)
Winter 2017-2018
Normal
Winter 2017-2018 Snowfall (in)
25.4
25.0
Seasonal Snowfall (in) for Cold Season 2017-2018 (October 1, 2017-February 28, 2018)
31.4
34.2
     
Snowfall Thresholds
Number of Days
Normal
Cold-Season 2017-2018 Days with Measurable Snowfall
26
24.8
Cold-Season 2017-2018 Days with >= 1.0 inch Snowfall
12
10.6
Cold-Season 2017-2018 Days with >= 2.0 inch Snowfall
4
5.5
Cold-Season 2017-2018 Days with >= 5.0 inch Snowfall
1
1.0
February St. Cloud Records
10 Warmest Winters

 

Historic temperature data provided courtesy of the Saint Cloud National Weather Service Office, and NOAA/NWS
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Send comments to: raweisman@stcloudstate.edu