2007 Climatological Summary for DULUTH

Overall, 2007 was warmer and slightly drier than normal at Duluth.  All but three months 
(February, April, and December) featured above normal temperatures. While January was more 
than 5 degrees above normal, February was quite cold and nearly 7 degrees below normal. 
Summer was warm and dry with well below normal precipitation from June through August. 
Recovery came in fall, with October ranking as the 2nd wettest ever observed. Snowfall 
was above normal, but did not rank in the top 10. Most notable was the 35.4 inches that
 fell in December, the 5th highest ever recorded for the month.

The average daily maximum temperature was 49.6 degrees, while the average daily minimum
 temperature was 31.5 degrees, resulting in an average temperature for the year of 40.6 
degrees, the 9th warmest ever observed at the airport (where records have been maintained 
since 1941); but considerably cooler than the average temperature of 43.0 degrees 
observed in 2006.

WARMEST YEARS AT DULUTH AIRPORT (degrees Fahrenheit):

1-      43.2 (1998)

2-      43.0 (2006)

3-      42.8 (1987)

4-      41.8 (1941)

5-      41.6 (1999)

COOLEST YEARS AT DULUTH AIRPORT (degrees Fahrenheit):

1-      34.5 (1950)

2-      34.6 (1972)

3-      36.1 (1951)

4-      36.4 (1996)

5-      36.6 (1965)

The warmest temperature observed in 2007 was 88 degrees on September 5, August 10, and July 24. 
The coldest reading was -25 on February 4. The temperature dipped below freezing on 169 days 
and remained below freezing on 109 days. 40 days dropped to 0 or below.

The 2007 total precipitation was 30.02 inches; slightly below the normal amount of 31.00 inches. 
However, 2007 was considerably wetter than 2006, when only 24.55 inches of precipitation was 
observed. In 2007, measurable precipitation was observed on 118 days (normal is 134 days) 
and the greatest 24-hour precipitation total was 2.67 inches on October 18-19.

DRIEST YEARS AT DULUTH AIRPORT (inches):

1-      19.84 (1987)

2-      20.67 (1976)

3-      21.35 (1956)

4-      21.43 (1967)

5-      22.40 (1963)

WETTEST YEARS AT DULUTH AIRPORT (inches):

1-      43.44 (1991)

2-      40.08 (1950)

3-      39.61 (1972)

4-      38.29 (1968)

5-      38.26 (1949)

While 2007 began warm and dry with only 4.5 inches of snowfall in January (the 3rd least 
snowiest January ever recorded), the rest of the year featured above normal snowfall, especially 
March and December, when 25.5 and 35.4 inches of snow was recorded, respectively. The total 
snowfall for the year was above normal, but not record-setting, with 103.9 inches.

Total liquid equivalent of snowfall in 2007 was 6.90 inches, producing a snow to liquid 
ratio of nearly 15 to 1. The heaviest snowfall was 19.6 inches, recorded during the blizzard 
of March 1-2. Snow fell on 91 days, including 20 days with amounts of 1.0 inch or greater.

DULUTH 2007 MONTHLY SUMMARIES...WITH DEPARTURES FROM NORMAL:

 

  	Temperature (degrees F) 	Precipitation (inches) 	Snowfall (inches)
			
JAN 	13.7 (+5.3) 	0.20 (-0.92) 	4.5 (-15.1)
FEB 	  7.9 (-6.9) 	1.49 (+0.66) 	19.7 (+8.3)
MAR 	29.4 (+4.0) 	2.49 (+0.80) 	25.5 (+11.8)
APR 	38.8 (-0.2) 	2.22 (+0.13) 	12.7 (+6.4)
MAY 	53.9 (+2.1) 	3.39 (+0.44) 	
JUN 	63.0 (+3.1) 	2.67 (-1.58) 	
JUL 	67.4 (+1.9) 	1.88 (-2.32) 	
AUG 	65.1 (+1.4) 	1.39 (-2.83) 	
SEP 	57.4 (+2.7)     	4.38 (+0.25) 	
OCT 	47.2 (+4.2) 	6.80 (+4.34) 	Trace (-1.5)
NOV  	28.8 (+0.8) 	0.66 (-1.46) 	6.0 (-8.4)
DEC 	13.4 (-0.6) 	2.45 (+1.51) 	35.4 (+20.5)
 

OTHER CLIMATE STATISTICS FOR 2007 AT DULUTH:

Total Heating Degree Days: 9066 (normal: 9724)

Total Cooling Degree Days: 306 (normal: 189)

Average Wind Speed: 10.3 mph

Highest Sustained Wind Speed: 45 mph (March 1)

Highest Wind Gust: 60 mph (July 10)

                                                                                                   

Number of FAIR days: 154

Number of PARTLY CLOUDY days: 116

Number of CLOUDY days: 95      

Average Relative Humidity: 69 percent 

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