MAURA ROSE, LEFT, and Gwen Dickerson meet on River Street in Niagara, Wis., on Friday to enjoy their daily bike ride. No matter what the weather, they are out riding, they said. (Karen Klenke photo)

IRON MOUNTAIN — Temperatures at Iron Mountain-Kingsford averaged 46.3 degrees in 2024, making it the second-warmest year on record, according to National Weather Service data.

An exceptionally warm winter included seven daily record-high temperatures — one in January and three each in February and March. For the year, temperatures were 4.3 degrees above the historical average and 3.4 degrees above the average for the 21st century.

The warmest year on record was 1931 when temperatures averaged 46.7 degrees. The third-warmest was 1998 when the average was 46.2 degrees and the fourth-warmest was 2012 at 46 degrees. NWS data for Iron Mountain-Kingsford dates to 1899, but some years are incomplete.

Autumn was also warm in 2024, but summer trended very close to normal. Temperatures reached into the 90s just one day in July and two in August.

Globally, Earth reached its warmest year on record, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. “The top ten hottest years on record have happened in the last ten years, including 2024,” said United National Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in his message for the new year.

Hundreds of U.S. locations had their hottest year on record, perhaps most notably Phoenix, Ariz., which had an average temperature during the summer of 97 degrees. The city set a record for the most days that reached at or above 110 degrees, with 70 such occurrences.

The hottest summer days at Iron Mountain-Kingsford came on Aug. 3 and Aug. 27, with highs of 92 degrees.

While summer was seasonable here, an El Nino weather pattern and its accompanying Pacific jet stream helped drive winter temperatures upward. The record highs were 52 degrees on Jan. 31; 54 degrees on Feb. 20; 55 degrees on Feb. 22; 65 degrees on Feb. 27, which is the highest February temperature on record; 56 degrees on March 1; 63 degrees on March 10; and 68 degrees on March 11.

Temperatures averaged above normal throughout the early months: by 6 degrees in January; by 12 degrees in February, the second-warmest February on record; by 5 degrees in March; and by 3 degrees in April.

September was the fourth-warmest on record, with temperatures averaging 5 degrees above normal. October and November temperatures averaged about 4.5 degrees above normal.

December temperatures averaged 23.3 degrees, which was 2.4 degrees above normal. The highest reading was 43 degrees on Dec. 10 and the lowest was minus 10 on Dec. 12.

Water-equivalent precipitation at the Iron Mountain-Kingsford Wastewater Treatment Plant observation site measured 1.77 inches in December, very near the normal amount. Snowfall was a mere 6 inches, which was 7 inches below normal.

Water-equivalent precipitation for the year measured 30.97 inches, which was nearly an inch above the historical average. However, the region continues to experience the effects of modest rainfall in late summer and early fall. The U.S. Drought Monitor shows moderate drought or abnormally dry conditions in all counties along the Michigan-Wisconsin border.

Average snow depth for January this century at Iron Mountain-Kingsford is 8 inches. Currently, there is less than an inch.

The Climate Prediction Center is neutral on the temperature outlook for the Upper Peninsula through March while slightly favoring above-normal precipitation.

El Nino — which naturally warms the Pacific Ocean and changes weather across the globe — is giving way to its cooler flipside, La Nina, but it may be short-lived. “The impacts are more likely to be weak and transient compared to those during a stronger La Nina,” NWS forecaster Johnna Infanti said.

Southern states this month have gotten a taste of colder air moving down from the Arctic. That weather pattern is linked to a polar vortex disruption that’s allowed frigid air to escape. With the Arctic warming faster than the rest of the world, such warping could occur more frequently, some climate researchers say.

Dan DePodwin, AccuWeather director of forecast operations, told the Associated Press there can be more cold outbreaks and warmer winters at the same time.

“Keep in mind that this is a small part of the whole climate, a couple of weeks of weather in a small part of the Northern Hemisphere,” he said. “Climate change does not mean that we will expect to see no more cold weather. It just means that the average temperature overall is going up and we still expect to see colder shots.”