Just How Wet Has This Summer Been in Wisconsin?

Jeff Boyne, NWS La Crosse, WI

Through much of this meteorological summer (June 1st through August 31st), Wisconsin has remained on the periphery of a subtropical high located across the the southern United States.  While residents underneath this high have seen record heat, a progressive train of weather systems rotating around this high have brought frequent rounds of precipitation across the Northern Plains, Upper Mississippi River Valley, and Great Lakes. With the exception of northeast Wisconsin, the drought has been alleviated across much of the state.  From June 1st through August 26th, rainfall values have ranged from 13 inches to nearly 28 inches.  Normally only 13 inches falls during an entire meteorological summer.  The graphic below provides the twenty highest precipitation totals for this summer across Wisconsin.

Highest Precipitation Totals This Summer in Wisconsin

While the precipitation totals above are rather impressive, only three locations have made it into the top twenty wettest Wisconsin meteorlogical summers.  The greatest precipitation ever recorded in a Wisconsin summer was 30.27 inches at Gays Mills in 2007.

Top 20 Highest Meteorological Summer Precipitation Totals in Wisconsin

During the summer of 2010, 49 cooperative precipitation reporters have established new precipitation records.  While this sounds very impressive, half of these sites had precipitation records that were less than a decade in length.

                                                     
                 Precipitation Records Established
               during the 2010 Meteorological Summer      

                          2010 
                      Precipitation                            Records
   Location               Total           Previous Record       Began
   --------           -------------       ---------------       ----
Reedsburg              27.95 inches     20.72 inches in 1980    1893
La Farge               27.83 inches     27.79 inches in 2007    1940
Ontario                25.80 inches     22.68 inches in 2007    1975
Milwaukee WSFO         25.62 inches     19.76 inches in 2007    1995
Milwaukee Mt Mary      24.95 inches     18.94 inches in 1954    1947
Watertown              24.43 inches     23.09 inches in 2008    1893
Alma Dam 4             24.38 inches     23.72 inches in 1998    1937
Waterloo               23.98 inches     18.85 inches in 2007    2007
Whitewater             23.76 inches     18.55 inches in 1952    1941
Appleton               23.42 inches     19.19 inches in 1961    1893
Hillsboro              22.38 inches     22.38 inches in 1980    1948
Butternut 3N           23.28 inches     14.41 inches in 2000    1998
Lone Rock Tri Co AP    22.68 inches     21.93 inches in 2007    1944
Lodi                   22.16 inches     21.45 inches in 2007    2006
Marshfield Exp Farm    22.15 inches     20.30 inches in 1935    1913
Brookfield             21.89 inches     17.06 inches in 2008    2007
Waukesha               21.82 inches     19.83 inches in 1954    1893
Necedah 2SE            21.80 inches     20.99 inches in 1980    1953
Fort Atkinson          21.68 inches     19.26 inches in 1952    1942
Hales Corners Whitnall 21.20 inches     19.91 inches in 2008    2000
Oshkosh                21.14 inches     20.80 inches in 1940    1893
Robert WWTP            20.69 inches     13.03 inches in 2009    2007
Blair 2NW              20.68 inches     20.67 inches in 1954    1896
Green Bay INTL AP      20.61 inches     18.89 inches in 1914    1896
Friendship             20.53 inches     18.08 inches in 2004    1930
Shiocton               20.46 inches     14.21 inches in 2003    1941
Rhinelander 4NE        20.09 inches     18.43 inches in 2000    2000
Wisc Rapids Grand Av B 19.79 inches     17.44 inches in 1998    1943
South Milwaukee WWTP   19.75 inches     16.14 inches in 2008    2006
Holy Hill 2E           19.65 inches     14.19 inches in 2008    2008
Chippewa Falls         19.52 inches     17.88 inches in 2001    1889
East Troy              19.14 inches     16.69 inches in 2008    2008
Berlin WWTP            19.10 inches     15.44 inches in 2008    2005
Denmark WWTP           18.90 inches     10.15 inches in 2008    2007
Chilton                18.45 inches     18.40 inches in 1986    1894
Pulaski WWTP           18.41 inches      8.66 inches in 2009    2006
Laona 6SW              18.31 inches     17.76 inches in 1999    1928
Milton                 17.56 inches     17.13 inches in 2008    2000
Slinger WWTP           17.32 inches      6.97 inches in 2009    2009
Clam Lake 4W           17.28 inches      9.72 inches in 2009    2008
West Bend Public Works 16.94 inches      8.32 inches in 2009    2009
Kewaunee               16.86 inches     16.64 inches in 1990    1909
Fond du Lac 2SW        15.83 inches     12.76 inches in 2000    2000
Sheboygan WWTP         15.71 inches      8.17 inches in 2009    2008
Jackson                14.89 inches     13.72 inches in 2008    2002
Jump Falls 3NW         14.83 inches     12.00 inches in 2008    2000
Forestville 4E         14.78 inches     13.42 inches in 2003    2001
Ephraim 1NE WWTP       13.87 inches      7.40 inches in 2009    2007
Grafton WWTP           13.06 inches      8.19 inches in 2009    2009
Saukville              12.54 inches      9.13 inches in 2009    2009

 

 

 

 

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