Wet and Cool July Pattern About to Change:
July continues to be somewhat cooler than normal (1°F to 3°F below normal) and certainly wetter than normal so far, especially in west-central and southeastern counties. Many climate observers have already reported over 2.5 inches of rain so far. Portions of Olmsted, Freeborn, and Winona Counties have reported over 4 inches of rain. Within the state climate reporting network over a dozen new daily rainfall amounts have been reported mostly from spotty thunderstorms. Some examples:
2.36 inches at Baudette (Lake of the Woods County) on July 1st
2.15 inches at Waskish (Beltrami County) on July 2nd
2.20 inches at Bruno (Pine County) on July 5th
1.90 inches at Zumbrota (Goodhue County) on July 5th
1.70 inches at Litchfield (Meeker County) on July 5th
1.60 inches at Lamberton (Redwood County) on July 10th
2.10 inches at Milaca (Mille Lacs County) on July 10th
With the addition of a wet start to July there are over a dozen climate stations that now report over 30 inches of precipitation for the year so far. Wells in Faribault County reports almost 34 inches of precipitation this year which is 98 percent of their annual normal (34.51 inches). Unbelievable!
According to the NOAA Climate Prediction Center Outlook models starting this weekend and running through the rest of July, the weather pattern for Minnesota will become warmer than normal and drier than normal. Not expected to be record-setting in this pattern shift, but nevertheless a significant shift in moisture.
Weekly Weather Potpourri:
According to the NOAA National Weather Service in Houston, Texas web site, Hurricane Beryl brought a great deal of damage to coastal and eastern regions of the state. Many climate stations reported rainfalls ranging from 6 to 14 inches, causing widespread flash flooding. Wind gusts ranged from 50 mph to 97 mph and there were a few tornadoes as well. Certainly Beryl was one of the most damaging hurricanes historically for so early in the season, knocking out power to millions of residents.
According to the BBC the state of Assam in northeastern Indian experience torrential rains and widespread flooding earlier this week. The flooding was some of the worst in years. Thousands of villages were submerged and many roads and bridges damaged. At the Kaziranga Naational Park, over a 130 animals were killed by the flooding, including six very rare one-horned rhinos.
MPR listener question:
In the past we have heard you remark that 2019 was the wettest year in Minnesota state history when the average yearly precipitation across the state was over 35 inches. We are wondering if this year (2024) is on a pace to surpass 2019?
Answer:
Good question. So far this year the statewide average precipitation since January 1st is a little over 20.28 inches. At the same point in time (July 11) in 2019 the statewide average precipitation was 17.25 inches. So, indeed precipitation across the state this year is running in greater surplus than it was in 2019, the statewide wettest year.
Twin Cities Almanac for July 12th:
The average MSP high temperature for this date is 84 degrees F (plus or minus 7 degrees F standard deviation), while the average low is 66 degrees F (plus or minus 7 degrees F standard deviation).
MSP Local Records for July 12th:
MSP records for this date: highest daily maximum temperature of 106 degrees F in 1936; lowest daily maximum temperature of 67 degrees F in 1926; lowest daily minimum temperature of 48 degrees F in 1941; highest daily minimum temperature of 83 degrees F in 1936, and record precipitation of 2.93 inches in 1912. No snowfall has occurred on this date.
Average dew point for July 12th is 61°F; the maximum dew point on this date is 80°F in 1995; and the minimum dew point on this date is 39 degrees F in 1926.
All-time state records for July 12th:
The state record high temperature for this date is 111 degrees F at Canby (Yellow Medicine County) in 1936. The state record low temperature for this date is 27 degrees F at Tower (St Louis County) in 1975. The state record precipitation for this date is 5.45 inches at Buffalo (Wright County) in 1961. There has been no snowfall on this date.
Words of the Week: Tipple Cloud
This term is occasionally used to refer to a cloud which dumps excessive amounts of rain as
it passes over an elevated spot in a landscape, such as a hill or mountain. It is taken from mining
terminology. Coal mines and other mines often had tipples constructed near their entrances
where the ore and mining waste from carts could be dumped and sorted.
Past Weather:
The worst Heat Wave historically occurred in July of 1936, and on the 12th nearly every spot in Minnesota reported an afternoon temperature of 100°F or greater. The coldest spot in the state was 98°F at Two Harbors. It was 106°F as far north as Littlefork (Koochiching County), and the overnight low never dropped below 81°F in Itasca State Park.
One of the worst Heat Waves in the modern record occurred over July 12-14, 1995. Dew point spiked into the mid 70s to low 80s F across Minnesota, producing Heat Index Values from 105°F to 117°F over the three days. In central Minnesota there were reports of hundreds of thousands of turkeys killed by the heat. In the city of Chicago, hundreds of citizens died during this Heat Wave.
July 12-13, 1995 also brought strong thunderstorms and a derecho (straight line wind storm) to many parts of northern Minnesota. Many areas reported wind gusts of 70 mph to 100 mph. Especially hard hit was Itasca State Park where many ancient trees were uprooted or broken off by the high winds. The park had to be closed for a time. Many climate stations reported 1.5 to 2.5 inches of rain.
Outlook:
Warm and humid over the weekend and into Monday with a chance for widely scattered showers and thunderstorms both Saturday night and Sunday night. Showers may be more likely in northern areas of the state. Many places will see temperatures reach 90°F or greater in the afternoon. Dew points will also rise into the 70s F Sunday and Monday producing more uncomfortable conditions and keeping nights warm. Some areas may see a Heat Index rise to close to 100°F. A cool front will bring in more moderate temperatures by Tuesday of next week.
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