Drought in Wisconsin, February 1 to 29, 2024

Drought that developed last summer continued through the winter across Florence County. Severe Drought (D2) encompassed the eastern two-thirds of the county at the beginning of the month and expanded across the entire county by the 20th. February went down in the record books as very mild with below normal precipitation and snowfall which resulted in an unusually lower than normal snow pack. At Florence, the maximum snow depth reported during the month was only 4 inches. On just over half the month, the observer only recorded a trace or zero for the snow depth on the daily observation form. The monthly precipitation total was 0.71 inches, which was 0.25 inches below normal, or 74 percent of normal. The snowfall total for the month was only 5.2 inches, which was 8.8 inches below normal, or 37 percent of normal.

Drought that developed last summer continued through the winter across Forest County. At the beginning of the month, Severe Drought (D2) encompassed the southwest corner of the county and along the Forest, Florence and Marinette county line. By the 20th, Severe Drought (D2) expanded across the entire county, except across the far north and the far southeast portion of the county. February went down in the record books as unusually mild with below normal precipitation and snowfall which resulted in an unusually lower than normal snow pack. At Argonne, there was only one significant snowfall during the month from the 14th into the 15th (4.9 inches) which accounted for 80 percent of the monthly snowfall total. The observer reported the daily snow depth as a trace or zero for nearly half of the month. The monthly precipitation total at Argonne was 0.34 inches, which was 0.61 inches below normal, or 36 percent of normal. The snowfall total for the month was only 6.1 inches, which was 8.1 inches below normal, or 43 percent of normal.

Drought that developed last summer continued through the winter across Langlade County. |During the month, Severe Drought (D2) encompassed the northwest third of the county. The remainder of the county was designated in Moderate Drought (D1) or Abnormally Dry (D0) conditions. February went down in the record books as very mild, with below normal precipitation and snowfall, which resulted in an unusually lower than normal snowpack. At Antigo, the maximum snow depth reported on any given day during the month was only 4 inches. Nearly two-thirds of the days during the month, the observer only recorded a trace or zero for the snow depth on the daily observation form. The monthly precipitation total was 0.43 inches, which was 0.31 inches below normal, or 58 percent of normal. The snowfall total for the month was only 5.4 inches, which was 4.9 inches below normal, or 52 percent of normal.

Drought that developed last summer continued through the winter across Lincoln County. During the month, Severe Drought (D2) encompassed the northeast quarter of the county, while the remainder of the county was designated in Moderate Drought (D1). February went down in the record books as very mild with below normal precipitation and snowfall, which resulted in an unusually lower than normal snowpack. At Merrill, the maximum snow depth reported during the month was only 4 inches. There was only one significant snowfall during the month from the 14th into the 15th, which accounted for 87 percent of the monthly snowfall total. Over two-thirds of the month the observer only recorded a trace or zero for the snow depth on the daily observation form. The monthly precipitation total was 0.44 inches, which was 0.62 inches below normal, or 42 percent of normal. The snowfall total for the month was only 5.4 inches, which was 6.2 inches below normal, or 47 percent of normal.

Drought that developed last summer continued through the winter across northern Marinette County. During the month, Severe Drought (D2) encompassed the far northwest corner of the county, while the remainder of the northwest half of the county was designated in Moderate Drought (D1). The southeast half of the county was designated in Abnormally Dry (D0) conditions. February went down in the record books as very mild with below normal precipitation and snowfall, which resulted in an unusually lower than normal snowpack. At the nearby weather station in Iron Mountain, Michigan, the maximum snow depth reported during the month was only 3 inches. There were only two days with measurable snowfall during the month. For nearly half of the month, the observer only recorded a trace or zero for the snow depth on the daily observation form. The monthly precipitation total was 0.48 inches, which was 0.67 inches below normal, or 42 percent of normal. The snowfall total for the month was only 5.0 inches, which was 6.2 inches below normal, or 45 percent of normal.

Drought that developed last summer continued through the winter across Oneida County. At the beginning of the month, Severe Drought (D2) encompassed all but the northeast corner of the county, with Moderate Drought (D1) designated over the remainder of the county. By the 20th, Severe Drought (D2) expanded northeast to include all but the very far northeast portion of the county. February went down in the record books as very mild with below normal precipitation and snowfall, which resulted in an unusually lower than normal snowpack. At Rhinelander, the maximum snow depth reported during the month was only 5 inches. There was only one significant snowfall during the month from the 14th into the 15th, which accounted for 81 percent of the monthly snowfall total. For nearly half of the month the observer only recorded a trace or zero for the snow depth on the daily observation form. The monthly precipitation total was 0.38 inches, which was 0.84 inches below normal, or 33 percent of normal. The snowfall total for the month was only 6.8 inches, which was 7.0 inches below normal, or 49 percent of normal.

Drought that developed last summer continued through the winter across Vilas County. At the beginning of the month, Severe Drought (D2) encompassed the far western portion of the county near Iron County. The rest of the western half of Vilas County was designated in Moderate Drought (D1) with Abnormally Dry (D0) conditions over the eastern half. By the 20th, Severe Drought (D2) expanded to cover the western half of the county, with the eastern half in Moderate Drought (D1). February went down in the record books as very mild with below normal precipitation and snowfall, which resulted in an unusually lower than normal snowpack. At Eagle River, the maximum snow depth reported during the month was only 3 inches. There was only one significant snowfall during the month from the 14th into the 15th, which accounted for 66 percent of the monthly snowfall total. The observer only recorded a trace or zero for the snow depth on the observation on nearly a third of days during the month. The monthly precipitation total was 0.42 inches, which was 0.64 inches below normal, or 40 percent of normal. The snowfall total for the month was only 5.0 inches, which was 9.1 inches below normal, or 35 percent of normal. At Lac Vieux Desert, the maximum snow depth reported during the month was only 4 inches. There was only one significant snowfall during the month from the 14th into the 15th, which accounted for 66 percent of the monthly snowfall total. The observer only recorded a trace or zero for the snow depth on the daily observation form on nearly a third of the days during the month. The monthly precipitation total was 0.47 inches, which was 0.82 inches below normal, or 36 percent of normal. The snowfall total for the month was only 3.8 inches, which was 16.1 inches below normal, or 19 percent of normal.