It's been a milder than normal winter in Decorah so far

If you believe the weather hasn't been all that bad this winter in Decorah--you're right.

Decorah meteorologist Richard Bernatz says this winter ranks 86th out of 124 years for which weather records have been kept in Decorah.  Bernatz uses a formula that uses 15 different types of weather statistics to come up with an overall "winter severity index."

Of those 15 measurements, only two were above average--the number of days with a high temperature less than 20 degrees and total snowfall.  All 13 other measurements were below average, including all six measurements involving high temperatures.

Concludes Bernatz, "85 winters have been more severe than this winter for the period November through January."