How low will it go?

Last night's low hit minus 2°F at downtown Cape Girardeau, although the official reading at the airport was a balmy 6°F above.

Tonight should bring more of the same, with a forecast low of minus 3°F. According to AccuWeather.com, the record low temperature for tonight at Cape Girardeau is minus 2°F, a mark we could easily tie or break.

Last year in a nutshell: Cold, wet, windy

The National Weather Service in Paducah has released the 2008 climate report for Cape Girardeau. Here are some of the interesting facts gleaned from the report:

- Last year was the fifth coolest since records began in 1960. The average temperature was below average for eight months, especially May and November.

- We had 35 days where temperatures broke the 90 degree mark, but we thankfully never breached the triple-digit mark. Low temperatures never dropped below zero, something we won't be able to say about 2009.

- The total rainfall was ever-so-close to hitting 60 inches (it was actually 59.98). We easily beat the total for 2007 (42.08 inches).

- The highest recorded wind gust was 79 mph on March 27. The squall line associated with Winter Storm "Cletus" on December 27 was responsible for the highest sustained winds of 46 mph.

Even more stats

The National Climatic Data Center has released even more numbers for 2008 nationwide. Of particular note is this item: "2008 was the wettest year on record for New Hampshire and Missouri, second wettest for Massachusetts, and third wettest for Connecticut, Illinois, and Iowa."