TOLEDO, Ohio — Now that February has arrived, we're well past the halfway point of the winter season.
After a warm and dry start to the season, late-January finally dosed out some accumulating snow and colder temperatures. In this week's edition of Climate Friday, we'll recap winter so far and look ahead to what February has in store. Stay tuned to the WTOL 11 weather team for the latest forecast.
Let's start off with December, which felt more like a continuation of fall than a springboard into winter. With only 1.2 inches of snow and an average temperature of 34 degrees, December failed to deliver on significant wintry weather.
The month ended with a holiday weekend snowstorm that brought a white Christmas for much of the region. A typical December doses out 6.5 inches, kicking off the winter season with over half a foot of accumulation.
As we flipped the calendar to January, the Christmas snow quickly melted away as milder conditions returned. January featured the return to warm and dry weather, with most storm systems bringing rain rather than snow. With several days in the 50s and even one spring-like 61-degree temperature reading, January brought unseasonable warmth during the heart of winter.
January typically brings the biggest snowstorms of the season, and statistically delivers over a foot of accumulation. Despite the late-month snowfall, January only brought 7.9 inches of accumulation. Despite the late-month snowfall, January went down a whopping 7.6 degrees above-average with a mean temperature of 35.
The coldest day of January? The final day of the month brought a bitter low temperature of 6 degrees. Though January included a taste of winter weather, it featured an overall spring-like setting.
So what can we expect going forward into February? The next seven to 10 days will likely bring the return of milder weather with temperatures largely in the 40s and even a few days near 50. With only 45 days until spring, we're running out of time for a big snowstorm or harsh cold.
There's still time for a flip in the weather pattern and return to winter weather in late February, but the clock is ticking. Even with the milder weather outlook into early February, the second month of the year often brings its biggest snowstorms.
Last year, we picked up an impressive 12.7 inches of snow on Feb. 2 and 3. The year before brought a historic 14.5 inches of snow on Feb. 15 and 16. These recent snowstorms are a reminder that winter isn't over and the month of February can bring harsh winter weather even when it feels like it's time to move on to spring.
Regardless of how February pans out, this winter will likely go down as a mild one, fitting the trend of climate change. Winter weather is getting warmer and less snowy, on average, and will continue to follow that trajectory in the future.
Regardless of what the rest of winter has in store, the WTOL 11 weather team will keep you updated.