Past IEM Features tagged: subzero

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Relative Time below 0

28 Feb 2014 05:36 AM
Yesterday's feature presented the number of hours below zero Fahrenheit so far this winter season. The icebox in northern Minnesota had much larger totals than anywhere else in the Midwest, but they are also typically cold during the winter season! Today's image attempts to normalize the presented totals by comparing this year's amount of time below zero with the past 41 years worth of data. This analysis places Ohio and SE Michigan with the highest ratios. A ratio of 3 would imply that the location has seen three times as long a duration below zero than on average. So while Minnesota has seen roughly double the sub-zero time (which is a much longer duration in absolute terms than in Ohio), it is the eastern part of the Midwest that has been the most relative difference this winter season.

Voting:
Good: 49
Bad: 16
Abstain: 8

Tags:   subzero   winter1314  

Time below 0

27 Feb 2014 05:39 AM
Temperatures are, once again, below zero for much of the state this morning. The featured map presents the amount of time this winter season a location has experienced a sub zero temperature. The amount of time is expressed in units of 24 hour days, not the number of days with a sub zero temperature. If you are curious how these numbers compare to what we typically experience during winter, they are about 1.5 to 3 times larger than average. It is interesting to compare Iowa's totals with those further north of us. It has certainly been bad in Iowa, but it can be so much worse!

Voting:
Good: 41
Bad: 3
Abstain: 3

Tags:   subzero  

Sub-Zero Hours

11 Feb 2014 05:42 AM
Temperatures are once again well below zero for much of the state this morning. We have been below zero for much of this winter season as shown by the featured chart for Dubuque. For the site, this year's total amount of time below zero is only surpassed by the winter of 1962-1963. Other locations in the state are still behind the epic winters of the late 1970s. The good news is that the forecast continues to hint at warmer weather next week with highs back above freezing!

Voting:
Good: 30
Bad: 3
Abstain: 5

Tags:   subzero  

Days below zero

23 Jan 2014 05:39 AM
Our brutal winter continues this Thursday morning with temperatures yet again below zero and wind chill readings much colder than that. For Waterloo, this makes for the 22nd day with a low temperature below zero Fahrenheit. The featured chart displays the number of days each winter season that the temperature was below zero. The bars are partitioned by the period before 24 Jan and then after. This season's total is the largest since 1983- 1984, but is a ways behind the epic winters of 76-77 and 77-78. There is still plenty of winter to go and the near term forecast continues the reinforcing shots of cold air.

Voting:
Good: 34
Bad: 9
Abstain: 11

Tags:   subzero  

Sub-Zero Days

03 Jan 2014 05:38 AM
Very cold air is forecasted to arrive on Sunday with high temperatures on Monday expected below 0 Fahrenheit for most of Iowa! The featured map presents the average number of days per year with a daily high temperature below zero. For the northern part of Iowa, this situation happens, on average, a few days per year. For the southern part of Iowa, this cold of air is much less frequent with it only occurring once every two to five years. The wind will also be brisk leading to very dangerous wind chill values.

Voting:
Good: 111
Bad: 17
Abstain: 12

Tags:   subzero  

First sub-zero

13 Nov 2013 05:36 AM
The airport weather sensor for Spencer reported a sub zero Fahrenheit on Tuesday morning making for the first sub zero temperature of the season. The featured map displays the number of years whereby the long-term climate site had the first sub zero temperature of the fall/early winter season. If two or more sites tied for that year, they all got credit for having the earliest value that year. Northwestern Iowa, by far, is the favored location with some subtle topography effects over the Nishnabotna River valley in west- central Iowa. Warmer weather will be building back into the state for the rest of the week with a pleasant weekend in store and highs in the 50s.

Voting:
Good: 24
Bad: 6
Abstain: 3

Tags:   subzero   lows  

3+ days below zero

19 Jan 2009 06:13 AM
The featured time series from the Esterville Airport shows a period of 87 hours were the temperature never exceeded 0 degree F. Thankfully temperatures have been near freezing these past few days allowing some melting to occur. We will have a few more chances to get above freezing this week before more winter storms are expected to return next week.

Voting:
Good: 20
Bad: 7

Tags:   cold   subzero