This past winter in Indianapolis was weird. These 4 graphs detail just how weird.
Indy's recent winter was weird. We can all agree on that, right? The weather turned from mild to wild at a dizzying pace.
Hoosiers watched as temperatures seesawed for three months, changing rapidly in a matter of days, hours and sometimes minutes. Among weeks of cloudy, wet weather, unseasonably warm and cold conditions shattered or tied records, according to local meteorologists.
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"Anytime we have a lot of snow falling outside our typical winter months, we definitely call that 'weird'," said NWS meteorologist Andrew White. "During the month of November, we had 2.8 inches of snow and then we only ended up with 1.6 inches in December. We didn't measure any snow during the entire month of February, which has only happened five times on record."
Indy's 2022-23 winter was a mix of seesaw-like temperatures
Winter officially started Dec. 21, 2022. A day later, a powerful cold front punched its way through Indiana. The National Weather Service in Indianapolis recorded temperatures plummeting from a high of 41 degrees Dec. 22 to below-freezing by around 6 p.m. The temperature changed so quickly in some areas that wet roads from light afternoon showers "flash froze," according to NWS, causing havoc for drivers who skidded over the slippery asphalt.
January started off unusually warm with temperatures in the 50s and 60s. By the end of the month, the weather seesawed yet again with a cold front dropping 2.8 inches of snow on Jan. 25, just enough powder for Indy residents to bust out their shovels and sleds.
The following month, Central Indiana set a new record high on Feb. 22 after the Indianapolis International Airport recorded a 12-degree temperature jump in 40 minutes. The high for that day of 71 degrees broke a record set in 1922.
December 2022 for Indianapolis:
The sunniest day of December was Christmas.
It was Indy's 40th least snowiest December on record.
The high Dec. 23 was 1 degree, tying the record for the fifth lowest December temperature Indianapolis has seen in 152 years of keeping records.
January 2023 for Indianapolis:
On Jan. 3, the temperature was 63F, which is 31 degrees above normal for Indianapolis.
It was warmer than average, the ninth mildest January on record.
The warmest January on record for Indianapolis was in 1880.
February 2023 for Indianapolis:
Fifth warmest February since records began in 1872.
Second least snowiest February on record.
It was the first February without measurable snow since 1949.
"In March, we've actually run a little bit colder than we were in February, which has only happened a handful of times in the historical record," White said.
11 days of 32 degree winter weather in Indy
Below is a chart counting the number of days the Indianapolis area saw highs of 32 degree temperatures or less, from the official start of winter — December 21 or 22 depending on the year — until March 20, the beginning of spring. This data is courtesy of NWS Indianapolis.
Indy's winter was milder overall than previous years. There were 11 days from Dec. 21, 2022 through March, 19, 2023 when high temperatures reached 32 degrees or lower. It could have been the warmest winter in the past decade if not for the bitterly cold storm that slammed into Indiana in late December. Wind chills around Christmastime were minus-25 to minus-35 degrees.
December winter storm:How much snow did Indiana get? Here are snowfall totals from across the state
15 days of significant temperature dips and climbs
Below is a chart showing high temperatures from Dec. 21, 2022, until March 19, 2023. In red are the days where the temperature dropped or climbed by 15 degrees or more. This data is courtesy of NWS Indianapolis.
Indy winter temperature changes
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There were several times when Hoosiers had to break out the heavy jackets and thermals Monday, only to set them aside Tuesday out of fear of overheating.
Some of the biggest jumps in temperature happened Dec. 22-23 when the weather nosedived from a high of 41 to 1 degree due to a winter storm. The beginning of March saw a 25-degree spike in one day when the high on Feb. 28 climbed from 51 to 76 on March 1.
7.2 inches of snow this winter hardly one for the history books
The chart below shows the total snowfall Indy received from Dec. 21, 2022, until March 19, 2023. The red line shows the normal amount of snowfall expected. The yellow line depicts this year's winter as it compares to other years. This data is courtesy of NWS Indianapolis.
Data from NWS showed the total snowfall accumulation for the Indianapolis area this winter was 7.2 inches, well below the roughly 20 inches of snow considered normal by meteorologists.
What NWS says Indy residents can expect for Spring 2023
The chart below shows the total rainfall Indy received from Dec. 21, 2022, until March 19, 2023. The blue line shows the normal amount of rainfall expected. The purple line depicts this year's winter rainfall as it compares to other years. This data is courtesy of NWS Indianapolis.
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Hoosiers should keep an umbrella and rain jacket handy for the next three months.
"It's going to be a wet spring," White said. "There's a better chance that it'll be warmer than normal compared to cooler than normal, but we're more confident that it's going to be wet."
White said Hoosiers in Central Indiana could expect minor river flooding while areas southwest of Indianapolis would likely be more impacted. In addition to rain, meteorologists are seeing more wind activity than normal.
"We've ended up with quite a few more wind events so far this year," White said. "We've had two high wind warnings and issued five wind advisories already for 2023, which is more than what we've had in recent memory. We average only one or two of those a year."
John Tufts covers evening breaking and trending news for the Indianapolis Star. Send him a news tip at JTufts@Gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indianapolis winter 2022-2023: a weird, wild and mild weather says NWS
