'91 WAS EXCEPTIONALLY WARM AND WET

Although 1991 was the fourth warmest year in Cape Girardeau in over four decades, the high temperature for the year did not reach 100 degrees.

"Last year was warm and wet," said Al Robertson, professor of earth science and climatologist at Southeast Missouri State University. "The average annual temperature was 59.4 degrees. That's an increase of 2 degrees from the long-term average of 57.4 degrees."

Robertson said a 2-degree change may not seem like much, but it is actually a significant increase over a 12-month period.

"Last year was the fourth warmest here in 44 years of continuous weather data," he said. "By comparison, the warmest year was in 1946, with an average temperature of 60.9 degrees; the coolest was in 1979, with an average of 55.1 degrees."

Robertson said monthly average temperatures here were above the long-term average during 10 months of 1991.

The exceptions were January, when the average was seven-tenths of a degree below normal, and November, when it was 2.1 degrees below average thanks to a string of record low temperatures early in the month.

Robertson said the low for the year was 12 degrees on Nov. 9.

The high last year was 99 degrees on July 1. It was the first of nine consecutive days when the daily high was at or above 90 degrees.

"The subtropical jet stream and the westward extension of the Bermuda High certainly played a major impact on our weather last year," said Robertson. "The combination gave us a lot of cloudy days and warm nights. Our summer was rather mild because the jet stream did not steer the very hot, dry winds into this area from the southwestern United States."

On the other hand, Robertson said the impact of the polar jet stream in this area was minimal because it usually remained far to the north of Cape Girardeau during much of the year."

Robertson said frequent intrusions of moist air from the Gulf of Mexico, fed by the subtropical jet stream, helped make 1991 a generally wet one in the area.

Although six months (February, March, May, June, July and September) were drier than normal, heavy rains in October, November and December made up for the deficit and brought the total annual precipitation to 49.75 inches, 4.72 inches above the 81-year long-term average.

Robertson said many people are asking where the outbreaks of cold, arctic air are that usually invade the area in January, keeping everything in a deep freeze for a week or two.

Robertson said long-term average temperature are at their lowest levels of the year from mid-January to early February. By early February, the average begins to rise with the approach of spring.

But the 30-day and 90-day weather outlook through February and March indicates conditions here will remain about the same as they have been for the past three months, with above normal temperatures. However, precipitation is expected to average near to slightly below normal levels.

Robertson said the December average temperature was 41 degrees, up 3.9 degrees from the long-term average of 37.1 degrees. That made last month the ninth warmest December here in 45 years, said Robertson.

"It started out cold," he said. "The low for the month was 17 degrees on Dec. 4. It was also a new record for the date. The old record of 19 was set in 1974. Then it warmed up and was mild the rest of the month."

The high temperature for the month was 65 degrees on Dec. 12.

Robertson said there were only 14 mornings last month when the low was below freezing. That meant there were 17 mornings when it was above freezing.

"The actual average monthly low was 33.4 degrees, up nearly 5 degrees from the long-term average of 28.5 degrees," he said. "Those warmer nights will show up on this month's heating bill."

Total precipitation last month was 5.14 inches, up 1.45 inches from the long-term average of 3.69 inches. Robertson said over half of the monthly rainfall came during the first two days of December. Because of the warm temperatures there was no snow at the airport.

The long-term average temperature for January is 32.7 degrees. One year ago it was 32 degrees. The record high for this month is 73 degrees on Jan. 24, 1950. The record low of minus 18 occurred on Jan. 11, 1977.

Robertson said the volcanic eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Phillipines last year, and now the El Nino current in the Pacific Ocean, will continue to have a major influence on weather for the next two to three years.

"The immediate outlook, as I see it for the rest of the winter, is continued mild temperatures with a wet spring," he said.