Dry weather will continue through the opening week of January for the Aurora area. 2012 was a strange year for the area and a drastic change from previous years. These trends look to continue for the open of 2013.
2012 saw a drought build over most of the nation's midsection, after 2 of the wettest years on record. 26.91 inches of precipitation was recorded, which was 9.98 inches below normal. This was the 16th driest year on record, dating back to 1871. 2012 was the warmest year on record with an average temperature of 54.5 degrees! The area saw 24 record high or warm low daily temperatures tied or broken, with 15 of those occurring in March. March 2012 was the warmest March on record, while July came in as the 3rd warmest on record. The area saw 4 days with temperatures at or above 100 degrees, after not seeing one since 2005. These statistics were compiled from National Weather Service data.
Drought has persisted into the winter months across the nation's midsection. The lack of an active jet stream, along with the Gulf of Mexico cut off by a subtropical high in the southeast, will keep dry conditions going through early 2013. The winter months are crucial for building soil moisture. Rains tend to scatter come summer. If the pattern does not shift, the consequences will be brutal for growing season next spring.
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