Minnesota WeatherTalk

Preliminary Climate Summary for October 2022: With the forecast calling for above normal temperatures and no precipitation for the last four days of the month, a preliminary look at October’s climate is possible. Temperature-wise, most climate stations will report a mean monthly temperature that ranges from 1 to 3°F above normal. Far from record-setting, nevertheless on a statewide basis this October will be among the 20 warmest historically. Extreme temperatures for the month ranged from 86°F at Granite Falls (Yellow Medicine County) on the 11th to just 6°F at Goodridge (Marshall County) on the 6th. Minnesota reported the nations coldest temperature only twice during the month. Precipitation was below normal in October virtually everywhere in the state, with most observers reporting less than 1 inch. The driest area of the state was in the west where most climate observers reported less than half an inch of precipitation (a few eastern sections of the state were that dry as well).

Mid-October Cold Snap is Record-Setting in Some Places: After a generally mild and warm first two weeks, mid-October turned very cold and windy. Most climate stations reported temperatures from 8 to 12 degrees colder than normal from October 13 to October 20. There were multiple nights of freezing temperatures ending the growing season for all parts of the state. In addition, over 40 long-term climate stations reported setting new low temperature records on some dates. On October 18th many places reported low temperatures in the teens and twenties F, while Milan (Chippewa County) reported a new record low of just 9°F. On October 19th again many morning lows in the teens and twenties F were reported and a new record low of just 7°F was observed at Preston (Fillmore County). More record lows were reported on October 20th as well, with Wells (Faribault County) reported a new record of 15°F. In the Twin Cities Metro Area, Rosemount reported a low of just 19°F and Chanhassen a low of

Weekly Weather Update: Midweek brought some welcome general rains to Minnesota, with common amounts ranging from a quarter of an inch to three-quarters of an inch. Some areas of northern Minnesota even reported traces of snow, as temperatures plummeted for the second half of the week. On Friday morning many observers reported more snow, with many reports of 1.5 to 3 inches in northern counties and 0.1 to 1.5 inches around the Metro Area. The measures of drought in the state remained roughly the same, with the most extreme drought conditions over portions of the Metro Counties, and some counties in southwestern Minnesota. Approximately 79 percent of the state landscape is drier than normal. Winds picked up this week with back-to- back days bringing wind gusts over 40 mph. Many parts of the state have reported 5 days so far this month with wind gusts over 30 mph, as the windiest year in many decades continues to leave its footprint on the state. The recent winds have stripped many

October Starts Warm and Dry: Many areas of the state through the first week of the month are reporting average temperatures from 5 to 9°F warmer than normal. Afternoon high temperatures in the 80s F were reported from 9 southern Minnesota counties, and it was 70°F as far north as Gunflint Lake and Big Fork. As for rainfall, most areas of the state have reported less than two tenths of an inch so far this month, except for a few spots in southwestern Minnesota and far northeastern Minnesota. Some areas of the state are reporting total precipitation for the year so far that is 7 to 10 inches less than normal. The US Drought Monitor shows an expanding area of drought encompassing the state as we move through the autumn season. Portions of 26 counties are in Severe Drought, while portions of 14 counties are in Extreme Drought according to the report this week. Much of the rest of the state is in Moderate Drought or at least drier than normal. Conversely a few northern locations are