November 8, 1999: Record-breaking Warm Spell
This was the mean upper-air patten during November 1999--a mild westerly flow.
Upper Michigan is experiencing a warm spell that will last into the weekend. Temperatures could be well above average for a brief period of time, but nowhere near the warmth on this date in 1999.
On November 8 that year it topped out at 69 degrees at the National Weather Service (NWS) near Negaunee. The next day, the temperature soared to 73. That was the warmest temperature so late in the season and the latest 70-degree high. The same day, Ironwood hit 72 and Iron Mountain had a record-setting 75 degrees.
That November, a westerly flow aloft held on for much of the month, which fed mild Pacific air into Upper Michigan (Image above). There were no cold outbreaks; in fact, there was just three days where the mean temperature was below average. The month end 7.1 degrees above the long-term average. December continued mild. In fact, permanent winter snow cover wasn’t established until December 10th. With the exception of a couple of cold stretches in January and February, the rest of the winter was mild. In fact, winter virtually ended after the third week of February as a mild Pacific air flow became reestablished. From February 21 through March 8, 1999, the mean temperature was over 22 degrees above average!
If you’re a winter fan, you don’t want a 1999-2000 repeat, that’s for sure.
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