Where’d all the rain go?

    At the close of 2018, Holyoke recorded a dry-weather year, leaving Phillips County residents asking where all the rain went.
    According to official weather observer Dan Kafka, total precipitation for the year added up to 14.64 inches. That’s down roughly 5 inches from both 2017 and 2016. However, it’s not the lowest Holyoke has ever seen. Within the last 10 years, the city recorded 13.99 inches in 2013 and only 10.34 inches in 2012.
    May was clearly the wettest month of 2018, with 4.6 inches of precipitation. September’s 0.23 inch made it the driest month.
    While both rain and melted snow combine for precipitation totals, Kafka also measures snowfall for Holyoke. 2018 ended with 34.2 inches of snow. February’s 10.4 inches made it the snowiest month of the year.
     On the thermometer, Holyoke’s average high temperature for 2018 was 64 F, and the average low was 34 F. The hottest day of the year was June 29, 2018, at 102 F. Jan. 16, 2018, claims the coldest temperature at -14 F.
    One of the most notable weather events of the year was the Friday the 13th blizzard in April that resulted in closed highways, power outages, stranded motorists and strayed cattle in the region.
    Those who live and farm northeast of Holyoke will never forget the July 28, 2018, storm that brought devastating baseball-size hail. While Phillips County residents would love a little more rain in 2019, they’d appreciate it without the hail.