Preliminary June Climate Summary

Preliminary June Climate Summary:

Despite a relatively even mixture of days with above normal and below normal temperatures, most climate stations report a mean monthly temperature for June that was close to normal or from 1 to 3 degrees F above normal. Extremes for the month ranged from just 25°F at Tower on June 2nd to near 100°F on June 29. Minnesota reported the lowest temperature in the nation only twice during the month.

Rainfall for June was mostly below normal around the state, especially in north-central and northeastern counties (some communities there received less than 2 inches for the month). Southeastern Minnesota had the most rainfall with portions of Fillmore and Mower Counties getting over 7.5 inches of rain. Lanesboro climate station reported a new daily record rainfall of 2.91 inches on the 16th, and on the same date Preston reported a new daily record rainfall of 2.67 inches. On June 5th Grand Meadow reported a new daily record rainfall for the date with 2.40 inches.

Early morning hours of Friday, June 28th brought more heavy thunderstorms to southeastern Minnesota. Portions of Dodge, Goodhue, Steele, Olmsted, Fillmore and Wabasha Counties reported 3-6 inches of rain and flooded fields and roads, some of which were closed. These rains pushed the June monthly total at Rochester Airport to 9.35 inches, their 3rd wettest June in history (behind the Junes of 1914 and 2000).

By the end of June, crop conditions had improved around the state, and major garden crops like lettuce, onions, strawberries, and rhubarb were coming along well. In southwestern Minnesota corn and soybean farmers in Brown, Redwood, Watonwan, and Martin Counties were assessing the hail damage from last week’s storms. If these damage crops are left to recover during their vegetative phase of growth, care should be taken to maintain good weed control, among other factors, according to Extension Agronomists.

Weekly Weather Potpourri:

NOAA features this week an example of how the city of Boston has taken a proactive approach to climate adaptation since Hurricane Sandy in 2012. The city has taken a number of strategic steps to reduce the impacts of climate and weather extremes.

The BBC Weather Centre reported on the unusual Heat Wave across Western Europe this week. Especially hard hit were portions of Spain and France where temperatures topped 104°F. Temperatures in some areas of Spain were expected to reach 112°F on Friday (June 28) setting new records for the month of June, and in France a new all-time record high for that country was set in Gallargues-le-Montueux on Friday, June 28th with a high of 114°F.

There is an interesting article in this week’s AGU-EOS which discusses the linkage between the history and evolution of ocean tides and the Earth’s climate cycles. Weak tides were associated with the “snowball Earth” era in geologic time scales for example.

MPR listener question:

The forecast is for the Twin Cities to see Heat Index values of 100°F to 103°F on Saturday (June 29). How often do we get Heat Index Values that high in June?

Answer:

It is perhaps more frequent than you think. In the 145 year climate record for the Twin Cities the following years have produced at least one day in June with a Heat Index of 100°F or greater: 1909, 1911, 1925, 1931, 1933, 1934, 1943, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1983, 1985, 1988, 1996, 2002, 2007, 2011, and 2018.

So that is roughly 12 percent of all Junes produce such a day. The historical high range in Heat Index Values during June is from 100°F to 110°F, but we will see closer to the lower value this weekend.

Twin Cities Almanac for June 28th:

The average MSP high temperature for this date is 82 degrees F (plus or minus 8 degrees F standard deviation), while the average low is 63 degrees F (plus or minus 7 degrees F standard deviation).

MSP Local Records for June 28th:

MSP weather records for this date include: highest daily maximum temperature of 102 degrees F in 1931: lowest daily maximum temperature of 64 degrees F in 1923; lowest daily minimum temperature is 47 degrees F in 1924; highest daily minimum temperature of 82 degrees F in 1931; record precipitation of 2.33 inches in 1920; and no snow has fallen on this date.

Average dew point for June 28th is 59 degrees F, with a maximum of 77 degrees F in 1996 and a minimum of 33 degrees F in 1925.

All-time state records for June 28th:

The state record high temperature for this date is 108 degrees F at Canby (Yellow Medicine County) in 1931. The state record low temperature for this date is 24 degrees F at Sawbill Camp (Cook County) in 1936. State record precipitation for this date is 3.60 inches at Moorhead (Clay County) in 1897; and no snowfall has occurred on this date.

Past Weather Features:

After enduring a spring with severe snow melt flooding on the Red River of the North, residents of northwestern Minnesota were hit with strong thunderstorms and flash flooding over June 28-29, 1897. Rainfall amounts ranged from 2 to 4 inches across portions of Becker, Clay, and Normand Counties.

By far the warmest June 28th in state history was in 1931 when over 35 climate stations reported an afternoon high of 100°F or greater. The overnight temperature at Canby only “dropped” to 87°F, one of the warmest nights in state history.

June 28, 1983 brought frost to many communities in St Louis County, including Tower, Cotton, and Cook, where it was just 27 degrees F. Temperatures warmed up 50 degrees F to an afternoon high of 77°F at Cook.

Outlook:

Warm and muggy over the weekend with increasing cloudiness later on Sunday and a chance for thunderstorms. Some areas of the state, including the Twin Cities may be under Excessive Heat Advisories during this period, with Heat Index values ranging from 95°F to 105°F. Cooler with temperatures closer to normal for Monday-Thursday next week, but almost daily chances for scattered thunderstorms during this period.