IEM Daily Feature
Tuesday, 18 December 2012

Highs before snowfall

Posted: 18 Dec 2012 05:36 AM

The first major snowfall of the season for Iowa is set to arrive on Wednesday. High temperatures on Tuesday (today) will be very pleasant in the 40s. The featured chart presents the combination of day prior to snowfall high temperature and then the total snowfall over the next two days. There are caveats galore with this type of comparison as there are timing issues with how the snowfall is reported in relation to the high temperature. Putting that aside, the side charts show the histogram of temperature and snowfall distribution. The preferred temperature is near or just above freezing, which makes sense as it represents a good combination of just cold enough temperatures which can hold more moisture than colder temperatures. The chart also indicates that the larger snowfall totals are associated with temperatures closer to freezing as well.

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Tags:   snow