Summer 1998 in Wisconsin

    Summer 1998 (June through August) was characterized by nearly normal temperatures and precipitation on a statewide basis.  However, significant deviations from normal occurred in some of the nine climate divisions, and conditions differed significantly between June, July, and August.

    The most notable climatic phomena was persistent drought in the northern and eastern parts of the state.  The northeastern and north central divisions, which had already received less-than-normal precipitation in the spring, were most strongly impacted by the dry weather.  Several lakes in northern Wisconsin reached record low levels as a result of little snowfall during winter 1997-98, minimal snowmelt in spring 1998, and below-normal precipitation during both spring and summer 1998.

    Most of southern and western Wisconsin received significantly more precipitation than normal during the summer as a whole, with values ranging from 153% of normal in southwestern Wisconsin to about 125% of normal elsewhere.  The summer was not uniformly wet across the south, however, as most locations were below normal precipitation during July.  Southeastern Wisconsin, for example, was about 1.5 inches below normal for July, but made up for the defecit with above-average rainfall in June and August.

 
Climate 
Division
Mean 
Temp.  
(°F)
Normal 
Temp.
Depart. 
From 
Normal
Total 
Precip. 
(in.)
Normal 
Precip.
Depart. 
From 
Normal
Percent 
of 
Normal
Northwest
66.0
65.8
0.2
10.99
12.36
-1.38
89
N. Central
64.9
64.6
0.2
9.08
11.65
-2.57
78
Northeast
65.9
65.4
0.5
9.64
10.89
-1.24
89
W. Central
69.0
68.9
0.1
15.60
12.46
3.14
125
Central
68.4
68.2
0.3
14.08
11.36
2.71
124
E. Central
68.7
67.8
0.9
10.50
10.20
0.30
103
Southwest
69.6
69.8
-0.2
18.22
11.93
6.29
153
S. Central
69.9
69.7
0.3
14.41
11.57
2.83
124
Southeast
70.2
69.5
0.7
11.81
10.89
0.92
108
Statewide
67.5
67.2
0.3
12.39
11.63
0.76
107
 
(Note: Total precipitation is rain or water equivalent of snowfall)