Eastern Cornbelt:
Parts of northern Illinois were hit with 2-3 inches of wet snow as the week progressed. Temperatures in the mid-30s were reported across central Indiana at midweek, but highs in the 40s were expected late in the week, along with widespread rain. By the weekend, highs were expected to top out in the mid- to upper-20s, with scattered snow showers likely.
Northern Ohio was also bracing for a wet and windy end to the work week, with a wintry mix of precipitation expected late in the week. Much colder weather was on tap for the coming weekend, with highs in the 20s and overnight lows in the single digits.
Western Cornbelt:
Temperatures in the 30s and low-40s were reported across Iowa as the week progressed, with wind chills in the teens and 20s. Isolated snow flurries were expected in parts of northern Iowa late in the week.
Temperatures in the 40s were also reported across central Missouri at midweek, with some areas posting highs in the 50s by the end of the week. A red flag fire danger warning was issued for most of eastern Nebraska on Feb. 8 due to warm, dry, and windy conditions. Winds were reported in the 20-40 mph range across the state.
Sources reported some fertilizer application taking place in the field, but the pace remained slow overall. “Dry weather persists and we need more rain,” said one California contact. “If we don’t get any moisture, we expect to see an early start to irrigation in some cases, and fertilizer will be injected in those irrigations.”
California:
Much of the state experienced unseasonably warm weather in early February, even prompting a heat advisory as several Southern California counties reported midweek temperatures in the mid- to upper-80s. Even in northern areas of the state, temperatures soared to 80 degrees or higher.
The warm weather, coupled with Santa Ana winds, sparked wildfires in the Laguna Beach area during the week, and also contributed to declining snowpack in the Sierra Nevada. The statewide snowpack fell from 160 percent of normal on Jan. 1 to 92 percent of normal on Feb. 1, with nearly all of the state reporting moderate-to-severe drought conditions.
“We are falling behind average precipitation by the day,” said one California contact at midweek.
Sources reported some fertilizer application taking place in the field, but the pace remained slow overall. “Dry weather persists and we need more rain,” said one California contact. “If we don’t get any moisture, we expect to see an early start to irrigation in some cases, and fertilizer will be injected in those irrigations.”
Pacific Northwest:
Mild, sunny weather was reported across inland Washington State during the week, with highs reported in the 40s.
Temperatures in the 40s and 50s were also common across Oregon and southern Idaho during the week, along with mostly dry conditions. Much of Montana experienced seasonal temperatures and dry conditions during the week, but some northwestern areas of the state were expecting 1-2 inches of snow in the valleys and 3-6 inches in the mountains by the weekend.
Western Canada:
Warm weather at the start of the week resulted in a number of record highs across British Columbia, including 12.9 C in Salmon Arm on Feb. 7. Temperatures climbed to 10 C in Edmonton, Alta., during the week, while lows in Winnipeg, Man., dropped to a negative 5 degrees C.
Mild temperatures across Saskatchewan produced freezing rain in some parts of the province at midweek, while strong Chinook winds battered southern Alberta earlier in the week. Heavy snow hit parts of Manitoba on Feb. 10, prompting weather warnings from Environment Canada and the closure of Highway 12 from Steinbach to the U.S. border. Some areas reportedly collected up to 10-15 cm of snow from the storm.