Minnesota WeatherTalk

July Climate Summary: It was warm and wet for the month of July across most of Minnesota. Statewide July of 2020 was both the 14th warmest and 14th wettest in history back to 1895. Average monthly temperatures from the state climate network ranged from 1 to 4 degrees F warmer than normal. There were 25 daily high maximum temperature records tied or broken and 38 daily high (warm) minimum temperature records tied or broken with the state climate station network. Extremes for the month ranged from 97°F at a number of locations on the 3rd to just 40° at Brimson (St Louis County) on the 23rd. With extremely high dew points (many days produced a dew point of 70°F or greater) the National Weather Service had to issue Heat Advisories and Excessive Heat Warnings on a number of days as the Heat Index soared to 100 degrees F or greater. Interestingly enough Hallock (Kittson County) in extreme northwestern Minnesota reported one of the highest Heat Index values with 107°F on the 25th. R...

Dry in Unusual Spots: Earlier this month I wrote about how normally cold spots in the state, Tower and Gunflint Lake for example, were recording daily high temperatures in the 90s F and setting records. Always looking for the unusual weather situation, I also find that the weather pattern this month so far has produced significant rainfall deficiencies in some spots that are normally among the wettest in the state: Waseca and Faribault. Currently the July total rainfall at the University of Minnesota Southern Research and Outreach Center at Waseca is only 0.79 inches, while at Faribault (Rice County) it is only 0.66 inches. This is well over 2 inches short of normal. Recall that Waseca has reported over 45 inches of annual precipitation in 4 of the past 5 years, with a record 56.24 inches (2016, then a state record), and Faribault has reported 40 or more inches of annual precipitation in 4 of the last 5 years, including 50.55 inches (a local climate record) just last year. So ...

First Half of July: Warm With Mixed Rainfall Through the first half of July average temperatures from around the state have been running 3-5 degrees F above normal, with widespread 90°F temperature readings. Across the Minnesota climate station network there have been 21 daily record maximum temperatures set or tied and 23 daily record warm minimum temperatures set or tied. These include normally some of the coolest locations in the state such as Cass Lake (with a record warm minimum temperature of 72°F on the 1st) and Gunflint Lake (with a record high maximum temperature of 92°F on the 5th. It is unusual that Minnesota has not reported the nation’s lowest temperature since May 30th when it was 30°F at Hibbing and Silver Bay. Minnesota’s northwestern most county, Kittson has been the wettest area in the state this month with rainfall totals so far on a record-setting pace: Karlstad 8.59 inches, Lake Bronson Dam 6.19 inches, and Hallock 5.70 inches. The number at Karstad is alrea...