Eastern Cornbelt:
Winter storm warnings and advisories were in effect for much of northern Illinois on Feb. 16, with 4-8 inches of snow and 35-mph winds expected. Stormy weather was also on tap for southern Ohio as the week advanced, with forecasts warning of rain, strong winds, and hail in some locations.
Parts of Indiana were also in the path of strong storms during the week. Damaging winds were reported in central and southeastern Indiana on Feb. 16, with highs falling from the low-60s to the 20s. Scattered snow flurries were expected in northern Indiana by Feb. 17.
Western Cornbelt:
Winter storm warnings and advisories were in effect for central and southern Iowa on Feb. 16 as a strong storm churned through the region, dropping as much as 1-2 inches of snow per hour. Forecasts warned of 8-10 inches of accumulation across southern Iowa and 4-6 inches in Des Moines by the end of the day.
Omaha, Neb., picked up 5-8 inches of snow from the same system, while Lincoln, Neb., reported 11 inches of accumulation. Whiteout conditions caused several accidents and temporary closures on Interstate 80 on Feb. 16.
Northern Missouri experienced rain and high winds on Valentine’s Day, with highs climbing to near 60 at midweek. A wintry mix of rain and snow returned to the state on Feb. 16, with highs in St. Louis expected to remain in the 30s on Feb. 17.
Northern Plains:
Blizzard warnings and winter weather advisories were issued for parts of the Dakotas on Feb. 14-15, resulting in several road closures, including portions of Interstate 29 and Highway 2 in the Grand Forks region.
Although Valentine’s Day began with mild temperatures in the upper-30s and low-40s across South Dakota, rain and gusty winds moved in as the day progressed, along with dropping temperatures and snowfall. The system left 3-6 inches of snow in eastern North Dakota and northeastern South Dakota, and 1-2 inches in the Sioux Falls, S.D., area.
The storm also brought rain, ice, and snow to parts of Minnesota, with 2-4 inches of snow accumulation reported in western Minnesota and an inch or more of rain in the Twin Cities area. A gradual warmup was expected later in the week, however, with temperatures climbing back into the 30s and low-40s across southern Minnesota and South Dakota by the weekend.
Northeast:
Record-high temperatures were reported across the Northeast during the week, with highs on Feb. 15-16 reaching the 60s in Connecticut, Rhode Island, and southern Massachusetts. Highs in Pennsylvania also reached the upper-50s and low-60s on Feb. 15-16, but rain was in the forecast late in the week, with lows falling to the teens and 20s by Feb. 17.
Boston posted a record 61 degrees on Feb. 16, but a cold front later in the week was expected to bring rain to southern New England and up to 6-10 inches of snow in parts of Maine. Highs in New York’s Hudson Valley climbed to 58 degrees on Feb. 15, but temperatures there were expected to drop to near 20 degrees on Feb. 17.
Eastern Canada:
Unseasonably mild temperatures across Eastern Canada resulted in numerous daily record highs on Feb. 15-16, but storms and colder temperatures were expected again by the end of the week.
Record highs on Feb. 15 in southern Ontario included 15 C in Toronto, 14.2 C in London, and 9.6 C in Ottawa. Northern Ontario, by contrast, was buried in 5-15 cm of fresh snow at midweek, with temperatures falling to the negative 20s C in some locations.
Quebec also posted several record highs at midweek, including 10.5 C in Montreal. A strong storm brought rain, freezing rain, and snow to the region late in the week, however, with 10-15 cm of snow and subzero temperatures expected in Montreal by Feb. 17. Quebec’s Beauce region was bracing for 15-25 cm of snow by the end of the week.
Similar conditions were reported across the Maritimes, with balmy temperatures in the high single digits and low teens on Feb. 16, followed by snowfall and freezing rain on Feb. 17 for much of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.