ENJOY ALL THE RAIN...IN FEBRUARY, IT'S OFTEN RAIN

For those who like snow, it's been a disappointing winter around here so far.

Temperatures in the area this month continue to average well above seasonal levels, which means precipitation falls as rain instead of snow.

Al Robertson, climatologist and professor of Earth science at Southeast Missouri State University, said the average temperature at the airport the first 10 days of this month was 41.2 degrees, up 7.9 degrees from the long-term average of 33.3.

"With that kind of an average you're sure not going to get a lot of snow," said Robertson. "Right now our average daily-high temperature is in the mid-40s and the low is in the mid-20s."

On eight of the past 10 days, the afternoon high was in the 50s, mostly in the upper 50s. Wednesday's high of 65 degrees was 3 degrees shy of the record high for Feb. 10, set in 1952 and tied in 1954.

Overall, the weather has been so mild the past three winters that it's hard to remember February is traditionally one of the snowiest months of the year in the area, with an average of 3.4 inches.

In 1978-79, 44.8 inches of snow fell during the three-month period between Dec. 1 and Feb. 28. Of the 44.8-inch total, 24 inches fell on a single day, Feb. 25, bringing all normal activity in the area to a halt until the Missouri National Guard could clear the roads.

Incidentally, heavy snowstorms in Cape Girardeau are not limited to December through February. During the past 40 years heavy snows have occurred as early as November and as late as March. In the late 1950s, a snowstorm dumped around 8 inches of snow on a Thanksgiving night. During March 1960, 25.4 inches of snow fell in the city, forcing area schools to extend their school year to make up for snow days.

Long-term average snowfall here for the three months of winter, Dec. 1-Feb. 28, is 11.5 inches. Robertson said the last time the average was reached or surpassed was during the winter of 1985-86, when 11.5 inches fell during the 90-day period.

The following winter only 2 inches of snow fell. There was 7.8 inches during the winter of 1987-88, 6.5 inches in 1988-89, and 4.7 inches in 1989-90. Last winter only 5.9 inches fell. So far this winter 1.6 inches of snow have been measured, with less than a month to go.

"You can blame or credit the jet stream with the lack of snow this winter," said Robertson. "The polar jet that would normally bring down the real cold air to help make the snow has stayed well to the north of us most of the winter. And the sub-tropical jet stream continues to push the milder air into our area most of the time. With that kind of a setup, it's hard to get much snow."

The mild weather this month has enabled some gardeners to prepare their spring lettuce beds in time for seeding on the traditional Valentine's Day. Farmers, too, have taken advantage of the sunny and mild days to complete plowing that was delayed last fall by wet weather.

Cape Girardeau County Extension agronomist Gerald Bryant said the mild winter weather can be a two-edged sword.

"On one hand the mild weather has been great for the winter wheat because it's allowed wheat planted late in the fall to develop better root systems," said Bryant. "That should mean a better yield this summer," Bryant explained.

"However, the mild weather also means that pests and diseases in the ground will not be killed. So there may be more weeds, disease and pests to contend with in the spring and summer. Farmers may have to use more herbicide and pesticide to control them, or plow the ground more often."