Winter sent us a stark reminder it wasn’t over yet during the month of February.
Arctic air plunged south and we were left with quite a cold stretch. Following that, we felt the opposite side of the thermometer as temperatures were mild to finish off the month. One example of this large swing in temperatures was in Broken Bow, Nebraska, where a record low of minus 32 degrees Fahrenheit was noted on Feb. 20 then four days later residents watched it climb to 67 degrees.
Record lows were numerous in the Plains during the blast of cold air. Others in Nebraska included Valentine with minus 33 degrees on Feb. 20, Chadron with minus 26 degrees that same day and Grand Island with minus 24 degrees on Feb. 20 as well. Feb. 20 was especially cold farther south with a new record low in Wichita, Kansas, at minus 8 degrees. Dodge City, Kansas, and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, noted two days in a row Feb. 19 and 20 with record lows. Dodge City dropped to minus 5 degrees both days with lows of 2 and 4 degrees in Oklahoma City to set new record cold temperatures for those dates.
Moisture came in the form of mixed precipitation or snow for much of February. In the central Plains, residents in some areas heard their first rumbles of thunder for the year as temperatures trended warmer later in the month. Snow on the ground was a welcome sight in some ways during the cold stretch mentioned above as it helped to protect much of the winter wheat crop in the Plains. On the other hand, the timing of the cold stretch added some stress to those who had entered calving season.
In the wider view, La Niña conditions persist, but a transition to ENSO-Neutral is forecast at some point during the spring months.
Also looking ahead to March, above average temperatures are expected for the Southern Plains into southwest Kansas.
During the month of March, much of Texas along with western Oklahoma and southwest Kansas are forecast to see below normal precipitation.
Through the month of May, precipitation totals are expected to be below seasonal norms for much of Texas, central and western Oklahoma, central and western Kansas along with central and western Nebraska.
During that same time frame, above normal temperatures will persist for Texas into southern Oklahoma.
I’m always keeping an eye to the sky (and the weather patterns), so watch for April’s update.
Editor’s note: Regina Bird grew up on a farm near Belleville, Kansas. The views from the farm helped spur her interest in weather. Following high school, she went on to get a bachelor’s degree in meteorology from the University of Kansas. She worked as a television meteorologist for nine years in Nebraska. Follow her on Twitter: @ReginaBirdWX.
