Record Warmest Year in Midwest

The National Weather Service has reported that 2012 was the record or near-record warmest year at many major climate locations across all of the Midwest. Most of these include periods of record dating back at least a century:

Illinois:
THE AVERAGE TEMEPRATURE FOR 2012 FOR CHICAGO WAS 54.5   
DEGREES...MAKING THIS THE WARMEST YEAR ON RECORD. THE PREVIOUS   
RECORD WAS 54.4 DEGREES IN 1921.   
  
RECORDS FOR CHICAGO DATE BACK TO 1872.  

THE AVERAGE TEMEPRATURE FOR 2012 FOR ROCKFORD WAS 53.1   
DEGREES...MAKING THIS THE WARMEST YEAR ON RECORD. THE PREVIOUS   
RECORD WAS 52.8 DEGREES IN 1931.   
  
RECORDS FOR ROCKFORD DATE BACK TO 1906.

2012 RANKED AS THE SECOND WARMEST YEAR ON RECORD FOR BOTH PEORIA AND  
SPRINGFIELD.  AN UNUSUALLY WARM JANUARY THROUGH JULY PERIOD...INCLUDING 
UNPRECEDENTED MARCH  TEMPERATURES...CONTRIBUTED TO THE OVERALL WARMTH THIS 
YEAR. THE TOP FIVE WARMEST YEARS ARE LISTED BELOW. RECORDS FOR PEORIA DATE  
BACK TO 1883...AND SPRINGFIELD DATE BACK TO 1879.     

PEORIA  
1) 1931 - 55.6 F  
2) 2012 - 55.4 F  
3) 1921 - 55.2 F  
4) 1938 - 54.2 F  
5) 1941 - 54.0 F  
  
SPRINGFIELD    
1) 1931 - 57.5 F  
2) 2012 - 57.3 F  
3) 1921 - 57.1 F  
4) 1938 - 57.0 F  
5) 1946 - 56.6 F 

Missouri:

2012 was the 2nd warmest and 10th driest year on record for Springfield. While overall average temperatures were the 2nd warmest on record...2012 did feature the warmest average high temperatures ever recorded...at 71 degrees. The previous record was 70.1 degrees...set in 2006.

The temperature never fell into the single digits in 2012...which is a rarity. In fact...through new years morning...it has been a record 690 days (and counting) since single digit temperatures were last observed in Springfield. The previous record was 406 days...ending on March 10 1998. Temperatures last fell into the single digits in Springfield on February 11 2011...when the low temperature was 5 degrees.

Persistently warm weather greeted much of the eastern three-quarters of the country in the year 2012, including the bi-state region. In fact, 2012 was the warmest calendar year on record at St. Louis, MO (KSTL) and Columbia, MO (KCOU), and 8th warmest ever at Quincy, IL (KUIN). The record warmth in 2012 was especially bolstered during meteorological spring (March - May) where the month of March at all three locations experienced record warmth. Summer was also well above normal, with all three sites in the top 10 warmest on record. Detailed lists of the top 10 warmest calendar years can be found below:

WARMEST CALENDAR YEARS   

St. Louis, Missouri
Period of record: 1874- Present

Top Ten Avg. Temperatures

1)  61.2 2012
2)  60.1 1921
3)  59.2 1991
4)  59.0 1990
5)  58.7 2011/1998/1938
8)  58.6 1954
9)  58.5 2006/1953/1931

Columbia, Missouri
Period of record: 1890- Present

Top Ten Avg. Temperatures

1)  59.4 2012
2)  58.3 1938
3)  58.2 1931
4)  58.0 1946
5)  57.6 1921
6)  57.5 1954
7)  57.3 1953/1941/1939
10) 57.1 1934

Indiana:

Warmth became the main weather story throughout the year across Central Indiana [Indianapolis]. 2012 set the record for warmest year since records began in 1871. Below is a table of warmest years on record:

Year  Average Temp.
2012  57.0
1921  56.5
1931  56.3
1998  56.0

THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR SOUTH BEND DURING 2012 WAS 53.3 DEGREES   
FAHRENHEIT. THIS MAKES 2012 THE WARMEST YEAR ON RECORD AT SOUTH   
BEND...BREAKING THE PREVIOUS RECORD OF 53.0 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT IN   
1998. RECORDS DATE BACK TO 1893 AT SOUTH BEND.   
  
THE AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURE AT SOUTH BEND WAS 63.2 DEGREES   
FAHRENHEIT FOR 2012. THIS SETS A NEW RECORD FOR WARMEST AVERAGE HIGH   
TEMPERATURE...BREAKING THE OLD RECORD OF 62.3 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT IN   
1946 AND 1931.  

THE AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURE AT FORT WAYNE WAS 64.5 DEGREES   
FAHRENHEIT FOR 2012. THIS SETS A NEW RECORD FOR WARMEST ANNUAL   
AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURE...BREAKING THE OLD RECORD OF 62.9 DEGREES   
FAHRENHEIT IN 1998 AND 1953. RECORDS DATE BACK TO 1912 AT FORT   
WAYNE.   

Ohio:
THE YEAR 2012 FINISHED AS THE WARMEST YEAR ON RECORD FOR COLUMBUS
SINCE COMPLETE ANNUAL TEMPERATURE RECORDS BEGAN THERE IN 1879.

                  TOP 10 WARMEST YEARS ON RECORD

    CINCINNATI                COLUMBUS                DAYTON
 1. 58.1 / 1881           1. 56.6 / 2012*         1. 56.2 / 1921
 2. 57.3 / 1882           2. 56.4 / 1998          2. 56.0 / 1931
 3. 57.2 / 1913           3. 55.5 / 1931          3. 55.5 / 1946
    57.2 / 1874           4. 55.4 / 1991          4. 55.3 / 2012*
 5. 57.1 / 2012*             55.4 / 1921          5. 55.2 / 1998
    57.1 / 1921           6. 55.3 / 1938          6. 55.1 / 1938
    57.1 / 1878           7. 55.0 / 2007          7. 54.7 / 1944
 8. 57.0 / 1880              55.0 / 1946             54.7 / 1939
 9. 56.9 / 1931           9. 54.9 / 1999          9. 54.6 / 1896
10. 56.8 / 1911              54.9 / 1939         10. 54.5 / 1922

   NORMAL: 54.1             NORMAL: 53.0            NORMAL: 52.1

THE YEAR 2012 WAS WARM AND RECORDS FOR ANNUAL WARMTH WERE SET OVER   
NORTHERN OHIO AND NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA...  
  
THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IN AKRON-CANTON WAS 53.7 DEGREES. THIS MAKES   
2012 THE WARMEST YEAR ON RECORD AND REPLACES THE PREVIOUS RECORD OF   
53.5 DEGREES SET IN 1931.  
  
THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IN CLEVELAND WAS 54 DEGREES. THIS MAKES 2012   
THE WARMEST YEAR ON RECORD AND REPLACES THE PREVIOUS RECORD OF 53.5   
SET IN 1998.  
  
THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IN ERIE PENNSYLVANIA WAS 53 DEGREES. THIS   
MAKES 2012 THE SECOND WARMEST YEAR ON RECORD. THE RECORD IS 53.1 SET   
IN 1998.  
  
THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IN MANSFIELD WAS 52.9 DEGREES. THIS TIES   
2012 FOR THE SECOND WARMEST YEAR ON RECORD. 1973 ALSO HAD AN AVERAGE   
TEMPERATURE OF 52.9 DEGREES. THE RECORD IS 53.4 SET IN 1921.  
  
THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IN TOLEDO WAS 53 DEGREES. THIS MAKES 2012   
THE FOURTH WARMEST YEAR ON RECORD. THE RECORD IS 53.6 SET IN 1921.  
  
THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IN YOUNGSTOWN WAS 52.2 DEGREES. THIS MAKES   
2012 THE SIXTH WARMEST YEAR ON RECORD. THE RECORD IS 54.2 SET IN   
1931.  

Michigan:
A YEARLY RECORD HIGH AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 52.6 DEGREES WAS SET AT   
MUSKEGON MI DURING 2012.  
   
THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 50.9 SET IN 1998.  
  
A YEARLY RECORD HIGH AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 51.7 DEGREES WAS SET AT   
LANSING MI DURING 2012.  
   
THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 50.6 SET IN 1921.  

A YEARLY RECORD HIGH AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 52.9 DEGREES WAS SET AT   
GRAND RAPIDS MI DURING 2012.  
   
THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 52.4 SET IN 1921.  

Sault Ste Marie, Houghton Lake, Alpena, Traverse City, Gaylord (click to enlarge):

Wisconsin:
..TIED FOR WARMEST YEAR ON RECORD IN GREEN BAY  
  
 RANK    AVG TEMP.        YEAR(S)  
-------------------------------------  
  1        49.4          *2012 & 1931  
  3        48.2           1921 & 1998  
  5        47.6           1987  
   
..2ND WARMEST YEAR IN WAUSAU  
  
 RANK    AVG TEMP.        YEAR(S)  
-------------------------------------  
  1        48.7           1998  
  2        47.9          *2012  
  3        47.7           1931  
  4        47.1           1987  
  5        46.4           1999  
   
..4TH WARMEST YEAR IN RHINELANDER  
  
 RANK    AVG TEMP.        YEAR(S)  
-------------------------------------  
  1        46.3           1998  
  2        45.1           1931  
  3        44.3           1999  
  4        44.2          *2012  
  5        43.9           1987  

Minnesota:
WITH AN ANNUAL AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 50.8 DEGREES...2012 TIED 1931   
FOR THE WARMEST YEAR ON RECORD IN THE TWIN CITIES. THAT TEMPERATURE   
WAS 4.6 DEGREES ABOVE AVERAGE.   

2012 will be remembered as the warmest on record for Rochester. March crushed its previous warmest on record by over 6 degrees, setting 18 daily high temperature records. On the whole, 33 daily records were set or tied for warmth, with the no cold records. July baked the region and was the 4th warmest month on record for Rochester. Amazingly, 7 months in 2012 set top 10 records for warmth with 2/3rds of the days recording above normal temperatures.
Seasonal:
Warmest spring on record at 53.8 degrees.
2nd warmest summer on record at 72.4 degrees.
Yearly:
Warmest year on record with 50.2 degrees

The official climate locations of Duluth, MN and International Falls, MN will both finish the year as the 3rd warmest since records began. Below are the current rankings for warmest average annual temperature.

Duluth, MN             
1.  44.6 F in 1931
2.  44.5 F in 1887
3.  44.3 F in 2012
4.  43.4 F in 1998
5.  43.0 F in 2006
           
International Falls, MN
1.  42.4 F in 1987
2.  41.4 F in 1998
3.  40.6 F in 2012
4.  40.3 F in 1981
5.  40.3 F in 2006
6.  40.3 F in 1915

Iowa: 

* With an average temperature of 56.0 degrees, 2012 was the warmest year on record in Des Moines. This smashes the old record of 54.5 degrees set back in 1931.
* There were 42 daily records set this year, this ties the number of daily records in a year also set 1936. The next highest of any year is 35 set in 1991. These records include 2 for daily record snowfall, 4 for daily record precipitation, 16 for daily high minimum temperature and 20 for daily record high temperature.
* The 20 daily record high temperatures for 2012 is the most of any year on record. Two years have 19 daily record high temperatures – 1934 and 1936.
* There were 279 days without measurable snowfall starting on March 5th and extending through December 8th. This is the longest streak on record without measurable snowfall. The old record was 277 days set in 1889.
* There were 244 days that had above normal temperatures, 100 days of below normal temperatures with 22 days recording normal temperatures.
* There were 120 days this year that had a departure of 10 degrees or more above normal compared to 15 days of 10 degrees or more below normal. In other words, almost one-third of all days this year were 10 degrees or more above normal.
* There were 60 days this year that had a departure of 15 degrees or more above normal compared to 2 days of 15 degrees or more below normal.
* There were 21 days this year that had a departure of 20 degrees or more above normal compared to no days of 20 degrees or more below normal.
* There were twelve days this year with an average temperature of 25 degree or more above normal. Seven of these occurred in March and early April during the extraordinary warmth during that time.