SOUTH BEND, Ind. — After a burst of excitement earlier this winter, the third round of this fight may end in a draw. With little snow and above‑freezing temperatures expected through the middle of February, winter’s knockout punch appears unlikely.
If you watched our Winter Knockout at the start of the season, we predicted three rounds to the fight: December, January and February.
December opened with a fury of cold and snow, but milder weather returned through Christmas. January brought two days in the 60s before winter landed a combination of punches that put us on the mat by the end of Round 2.
February began with us prone and vulnerable to a knockout blow, but that punch never came. The month may end with two tired fighters, a good bout behind them, and a TKO for winter.
Temperatures through mid‑February are expected to stay above normal. That won’t mean a major warm‑up, but it does mean highs above freezing, a slow melt and a low chance of additional snowfall. It also doesn’t signal an early spring. Expect a slow melt and highs stuck in the 40s at best.
If winter ended today, the forecast would hold up well for December through February. So far we’ve recorded more than 54 inches of snow and five nights below zero. It has been a fairly cold winter to date—currently the 34th coldest. But if February ends on the mild side, that ranking will rise.
South Bend, IN Snowfall