June Begins Warm

June Begins Warm:

The first week of June has brought warmer than normal temperatures to all parts of Minnesota. Most climate stations are reporting average temperatures so far that are 6 to 10 degrees F above normal. June 1-2 brought the hottest temperatures for the year so far with most observers reporting daytime high temperatures from 90°F to 99°F. There have also been a few warm nights with the overnight temperature remaining in the upper 50s to lower 60s F.

The first few days also brought severe thunderstorms with hail to parts of the state. Hail with 1 to 2-inch diameter stones occurred in several counties, while Blue Earth County also reported a brief tornado touchdown on June 2nd. On June 4 strong thunderstorm winds were reported from southwestern counties, where gusts reached 55 to 65 mph. More thunderstorm winds visited southwestern Minnesota again on June 6th with reported of gusts up to 75 mph.

These thunderstorms also brought variable amounts of rainfall, some of which was quite heavy. Austin reported over 2 inches from the thunderstorms on June 2nd, while Tettegouche State Park (Lake County) also reported over 2 inches. Many other climate stations reported an inch to 1.5 inches. Some areas of northern Minnesota were missed by the rains or just received a few tenths.

The warm temperatures are expected through mid-month, followed by a brief cool down. From June 7-10 will be an active period with a number of thunderstorms.

Weekly Weather Potpourri:

The NOAA-National Hurricane Center is expecting Tropical Storm Cristobal to bring heavy rains and flash flooding to portions of LA and MS later this weekend. Its remnants as a low pressure system will move north through the mid-section of the USA bringing heavy rains to Midwestern States and perhaps even Minnesota over the early part of next week.

MPR listener question:

How does the daily maximum temperature in Minnesota vary from summer to winter in terms of the time of occurrence? It seems in the summer that it actually occurs after I get home from work.

Answer:

Assuming you have a day job, you are absolutely right! In winter, the time of the daily maximum temperature is most generally between 2:00 and 3:00 pm, lagging solar noon (maximum elevation of the sun) slightly. However, in the summer (June, July, August), the time of maximum daily temperature is typically 5:00 to 6:00 pm, lagging solar noon by several hours.

Twin Cities Almanac for June 6th:

The average MSP high temperature for this date is 76 degrees F (plus or minus 10 degrees F standard deviation), while the average low is 56 degrees F (plus or minus 8 degrees F standard deviation).

MSP Local Records for June 6th:

MSP records for this date include: highest daily maximum temperature of 97 degrees F in 2011; lowest daily maximum temperature of 52 degrees F in 2009; lowest daily minimum temperature of 36 degrees F in 1897; highest daily minimum temperature of 74 degrees F in 1925; record precipitation of 1.59 inches in 1974. And no snowfall has occurred on this date.

Average dew point for June 6th is 53°F; the maximum dew point on this date is 73°F in 1925; and the minimum dew point on this date is 26°F in 1926.

All-time state records for June 6th:

The state record high temperature for this date is 106 degrees F at Pipestone (Pipestone County) in 1933. The state record low temperature for this date is 20 degrees F at Remer (Cass County) in 1985. The state record precipitation for this date is 6.51 inches at Luverne (Rock County) in 1896. And no snowfall has occurred on this date.

Past Weather Features:

Frost damaged crops on June 6, 1897 across portions of Minnesota as a cold Canadian high pressure system settled in from the north. Low temperatures ranged from 25°F to 32°F across western Minnesota counties.

June 5-6, 1914 brought heavy thunderstorms with hail and strong winds to many parts of Minnesota. Many southern counties received 2-3 inches, while portions of Winona and Mower Counties reported 4-5 inches of rain, washing out fields and filling creeks and ponds to capacity.

The hottest June 6th in state history was in 1933 when the majority of the Minnesota landscape experienced 90 F temperatures. Brown, Martin, and Pipestone Counties saw afternoon temperatures break 100 degrees F.

Outlook:

Warming up over the weekend with a chance for showers, especially west and north each day. Even warmer on Monday with increasing cloudiness. Chance for showers and thunderstorms Tuesday through Thursday, then drier towards next weekend.