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Sidney bucked region temperature trend in 2015

Even though most of the region had a warmer 2015 than normal, Sidney’s average temperature was just below average in 2015.

Sidney had an average temperature of 49.7 degrees Farenheit last year, which was four-tenths of a degree cooler than normal, according to meteorologist Richard Emanuel of the National Weather Service in Cheyenne, Wyo.

Emanuel said the difference was more pronounced in the more western areas of the NWS Cheyenne office’s coverage area than in the east. While temperatures were warmer than normal in the west, he said the Panhandle was about a degree and a half warmer than normal.

Although Sidney’s temperature was cooler, several area cities had warmer than normal temperatures. Rawlins, Wyo., had its second highest recorded average temperature last year at 45.5 degrees, while Laramie, Wyo., had its third highest at 43.1 degrees. Scottsbluff’s average temperature was 50.5 degrees in 2015, which was seventh-highest since records have been kept. Chadron was eighth highest on record at an average of 49.1 degrees.

“It took a while for the cooler air to get here last fall,” Emanuel said.

Sidney did have a wetter than normal 2015, with 22.8 inches of precipitation. Emanuel said that was four and a quarter inches above normal, and attributed most of that to a much wetter May. Sidney’s record for precipitation was 27.57 inches in 1965. The records in Sidney have been kept since the 1950s, he said.

 

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