Minnesota WeatherTalk

Record warm February is guaranteed: With only a couple of colder than normal days this month, the persistent above normal temperatures so characteristic of the climate since December 1st (75 percent of all days) will carry on to the end of the month and undoubtedly help set a record for the warmest February in state history, matching the warmest December in state history which occurred just two months ago. On Thursday (Feb 22) temperatures climbed into the 50s F at many locations across Minnesota, and even reached 60°F at Caledonia (Houston County). Some absurd numbers to contemplate: The average number of days that the daily temperatures climb above freezing (32°F) in the Twin Cities during the winter season (Dec-February) is 31 days. Similarly for International Falls (the Nation’s Icebox) it is 11 days. So far in the winter of 2023-2024 with another week to go in February, MSP has reported 58 days with maximum temperatures above freezing (32°F) this winter (Dec-Feb), while Intern

A Brief Taste of Winter: Valentine’s Day brought a brief return to winter with the heaviest snowfall of the season for many parts of the state. Seven to eight hours of snowfall, sometimes mixed with rain produced difficult driving conditions resulting in over 300 crash reports according to the Minnesota Stzate Patrol. Across central Minnesota many observers reported 3 to 6 inches, with a few reports of 7 inches or more (near New Prague and Hastings). A few spots reported record amounts of snowfall, including: 6.9 inches at MSP 6.5 inches at Bird Island in Renville County (tied record from 1967) 5.3 inches at Kimball in Stearns County 5.2 inches at Hastings Dam in Dakota County Following the snowstorm, colder air swept into the state bring the first days (Thu and Fri) of near normal or colder than normal temperatures since January 20th. Temperatures are expected to warm up above normal values again over the weekend and remain so for the rest of the month. Still on Track to Be the War

Remarkably Warm Start to February: The record-setting warm December-January is being punctuated with an exclamation mark during the first 8 days of February which are averaging 25.2°F above normal on a statewide basis. In fact, these are the warmest first 8 days of February in state history, surpassing 1991 and 2005. Over 40 climate stations have reported multiple days of 50° F or higher maximum temperatures so far this month, including northern locations such as Baudette, Tower, and Itasca State Park. Within the statewide climate observing network over 120 new daily high maximum temperatures have been set and over 140 new warm daily minimum temperature records have been set during the first 8 days of the month. Many overnight low temperatures remained above freezing this week, even as far north as International Falls where the low temperature was 36°F on February 8th. This prolonged the thawing cycle for soils and lakes, as ice thickness declined to unsafe levels in many areas, and so

January Climate Summary: Warm and dry describe the month of January 2024 in Minnesota. Despite having 8 or 9 colder than normal days in mid-month, many nights of subzero, the statewide average temperature for January will rank as the 10th warmest in history, over 7°F above normal. The last week of January brought temperatures that average 24°F above normal. In addition, some record high dew points were measured as well. When combined with the record-setting warm December, the first two months of meteorological winter (Dec-Jan) rank as the warmest in state history (surpassing 2011-2012). Of further note, the three-months of November through January rank as the 2nd warmest in state history, trailing only 2001-2002. Dozens of daily high maximum temperature records were set within the state climate observation network, and well over 100 new daily records were set for warm minimum temperatures, as many nights brought fog and kept temperatures in the 20s and 30s F. No new statewide tem