February's cold was again below normal

Yes, February was cold, with nine nights of frost, four in a row Feb. 22-25, where the month’s low of 20.4 degrees Feb. 24 fell. That day the average temperature was 27.1 degree. February’s daily average temperature was 39.6 degrees, 1.6 degrees below average for the century. The average morning low of 33.8 degrees was 0.9 degree below the century average; the month’s average daily high of 45.5 degrees was two degrees below average this century. The high went above 50 degrees four times in the first 10 days, but not after that.

Rainfall was also below normal for February, the 2.4 inches 19.3% less, 0.5 inches and 16% less than average for the past 24 years. The 1.6 inches of rain Feb. 18-22 was 65% of the month’s precipitation and by far the wettest period. One real rainfall, an inch, fell Feb. 20. Only two other rain events measured 0.2 inches, of seven of at least 0.1 inches. In a gray, damp month, 11 rainfalls were under 0.1 inches.

The 2023 water deficit is 2.7 inches compared to the century average. January’s precipitation was 2.3 inches, below the century’s average by over 55%.

The daily rain Feb. 3-9 totaled less than half an inch, only the second period with daily rain greater than 0.1 inches and was 19% of the month’s precipitation. No measurable snow fell.

No temperature or precipitation records were set.

Measurements and data are at Washington State University’s Mount Vernon weather station on Memorial Highway.