February is a beast in Missouri.
As I write this, snow is falling and the forecast calls for about a foot of accumulation in Houston and the rest of the Ozarks, and over the next couple of days, the high temperatures are supposed to be in the teens.
While the predicted amount of snow is certainly far higher than normal, the fact it’s happening in February shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. Highs in the teens, lows at or below zero, big-time snow events; it’s just a rite of passage around here in February. The month simply represents what winter has to offer toward the middle of North America, the second-largest continent on Earth.
To illustrate the wintry-ness of February in Missouri, consider some statistical data.
Since such information was documented, the lowest recorded temperature in the Show Me State occurred on Feb. 13, 1905, when the mercury dipped to minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit in Warsaw. That’s incredible! Like a bad day in North Dakota.
For the record, the hottest temperature in Missouri is 118, which happened – believe it or not – in Warsaw (and Union) on July 14, 1954. Weird, right?
But this is about February, and the coldest day ever in Springfield was minus 24 on Feb. 13, 1899 (what’s up with Feb. 13?). That’s crazy. Can you even imagine what that would be like? I’m not sure going to your favorite restaurant or shopping at the mall would seem the same. It would be stay-home time for sure. Hopefully with a wood fire burning.
I was walking around outside a day or two ago and I took notice of the lack of vegetation, the frigid wind blowing and the small covering of ice and snow, and I thought, “this is deep winter.”
On Wednesday morning of last week, I was in my truck heading to work in the morning and the snow was falling so hard I could barely see. At one point I stopped and got photographic evidence of the virtually white-out conditions.
But February can almost always also be counted on to deliver a tease or two, and this year was no exception, as the high temperature was 67 on Feb. 2 and a whopping 77 on Feb. 3. Way to go February; very funny.
Of course, reality came back on Feb. 4 when the high was a balmy (for this time of year) 45. And it’s supposed to reach 60 or more next week.
If you live in this region, you have to be willing to be on the end of a perpetual weather yo-yo.
The good news is, every January offers a trial run (since the month more often than not has several of its own “single digits” or “minus” days) and March usually presents some relief by bringing substantially more tolerable conditions.
But not always. Since my family moved here in late 2006, the biggest snowfall we’ve experienced was in March of 2013. I recall having a ruler positioned so it was obvious that the snow was every bit as deep as it was, if not deeper.
But that’s definitely abnormal.
Dang, February requires so much attention. I can’t wait for May.
Doug Davison is a writer, photographer and newsroom assistant for the Houston Herald. Email: ddavison@houstonherald.com.
