Lots of snow!

  Everything came together nicely this weekend for snow lovers. Last Wednesday, it was looking good for some weekend snow. As we moved into Friday, each run of the computer models brought us a snowier track for the low pressure system that was moving toward us. The result was a good old-fashioned snowstorm. Here are some preliminary snowfall totals, courtesy of the National Weather Service:

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
935 PM CST SUN DEC 09 2012

...PRELIMINARY SNOW FALL TOTALS...
...MORE REPORTS EXPECTED THROUGH THE NIGHT...
...FINAL TOTALS WILL BE PUBLISHED MONDAY...

THE TOTALS BELOW ARE SEPARATED INTO SNOW...AND ICE AND SLEET
CATEGORIES...THEN BY AMOUNT...AND ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE FINAL
AMOUNT FOR EACH LOCATION. WE HAVE ATTEMPTED TO REMOVE DUPLICATES...
BUT GIVEN THE VOLUME OF REPORTS SOME DUPLICATES MAY BE PRESENT.
THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HAVE PROVIDED AND CONTINUE TO PROVIDE SNOWFALL
TOTALS.

SNOW REPORTS LISTED BY AMOUNT

INCHES  LOCATION                 ST  COUNTY           TIME
------  -----------------------  --  --------------   -------
16.00   3 N LINO LAKES           MN  ANOKA            0741 PM
                 REPORT FROM COLUMBUS... STILL SNOWING LIGHTLY
15.80   HUGO                     MN  WASHINGTON       0900 PM
                 STILL SNOWING LIGHTLY
15.50   ISANTI                   MN  ISANTI           0730 PM
                 LIGHT SNOW FALLING...THOUGH NOW STARTING TO
                 GET BLOWN BY WINDS.
15.20   HAM LAKE                 MN  ANOKA            0643 PM
                 STILL SNOWING
14.90   1 ESE CAMBRIDGE          MN  ISANTI           0830 PM
                 STILL SNOWING LIGHTLY
14.00   FALCON HEIGHTS           MN  RAMSEY           0904 PM
                 STILL LIGHTLY SNOWING
14.00   3 E EAST FARMINGTON      WI  POLK             0638 PM
                 STILL FALLING
14.00   4 SSE SILVER CREEK       MN  WRIGHT           0523 PM
                 STILL SNOWING 1/4 MILE VISIBLITY.
13.50   OSCEOLA                  WI  POLK             0625 PM
                 STILL SNOWING
13.50   FOREST LAKE              MN  WASHINGTON       0516 PM
                 STILL SNOWING
13.10   MONTICELLO               MN  WRIGHT           0835 PM
                 STILL SNOWING LIGHTLY
13.10   3 WSW BLAINE             MN  ANOKA            0758 PM
                 STILL SNOWING LIGHTLY.
13.00   3 W RED WING             MN  GOODHUE          0632 PM
                 SNOW SNOWING
13.00   COON RAPIDS              MN  ANOKA            0630 PM
                 STILL SNOWING
13.00   KINGSTON                 MN  MEEKER           0518 PM
                 SNOW TAPERED
13.00   3 NW REDWOOD FALLS       MN  REDWOOD          0410 PM
                 STILL SNOWING
13.00   8 ESE PRINCETON          MN  ISANTI           0337 PM
                 STILL SNOW
12.70   1 E ST MICHAEL           MN  WRIGHT           0906 PM
12.60   2 SSE FRIDLEY            MN  ANOKA            0600 PM
                 STILL SNOWING
12.50   DARWIN                   MN  MEEKER           0837 PM
                 STILL SNOWING LIGHTLY...WITH BLOWING SNOW NOW
                 AS WELL
12.50   HASTINGS                 MN  DAKOTA           0517 PM
                 STILL SNOWING
12.50   2 NNW NORTH BRANCH       MN  CHISAGO          0410 PM
                 STILL SNOWING
12.40   3 NE BURNSVILLE          MN  DAKOTA           0552 PM
                 STILL SNOWING
12.10   MENOMONIE                WI  DUNN             0712 PM
                 STILL SNOWING.
12.00   MINNETONKA               MN  HENNEPIN         0738 PM
                 STILL SNOWING LIGHTLY.
12.00   NEW RICHMOND             WI  ST. CROIX        0722 PM
                 STILL SNOWING
12.00   3 S EXCELSIOR            MN  HENNEPIN         0635 PM
                 STILL SNOWING
12.00   COKATO                   MN  WRIGHT           0618 PM
                 STILL SNOWING
12.00   CHANHASSEN               MN  CARVER           0545 PM
                 STILL SNOWING
11.80   MAHTOMEDI                MN  WASHINGTON       0638 PM
                 STILL SNOWING
11.70   NORTH ST PAUL            MN  RAMSEY           0759 PM
                 STILL SNOWING
11.50   HANOVER                  MN  WRIGHT           0732 PM
11.50   2 W EAGAN                MN  DAKOTA           0700 PM
                 STILL SNOWING LIGHTLY.
11.50   ROCKFORD                 MN  HENNEPIN         0521 PM
                 STILL SNOWING
11.50   STILLWATER               MN  WASHINGTON       0500 PM
                 STILL SNOWING
11.50   3 NNW MINNEAPOLIS        MN  HENNEPIN         0459 PM
                 STILL SNOWING
11.30   1 W RED WING             MN  GOODHUE          0859 PM
11.00   SHOREVIEW                MN  RAMSEY           0812 PM
                 STILL SNOWING LIGHTLY.
11.00   2 NW EAU CLAIRE          WI  EAU CLAIRE       0730 PM
                 STILL SNOWING...
11.00   BLOOMINGTON              MN  HENNEPIN         0632 PM
                 SNOW TAPERING
11.00   5 WSW ST PAUL            MN  RAMSEY           0510 PM
                 STILL SNOW
11.00   2 W FOLEY                MN  BENTON           0410 PM
                 STILL SNOWING
10.80   3 N LAKEVILLE            MN  DAKOTA           0811 PM
                 STILL SNOWING LIGHTLY.
10.80   3 NW ROCKFORD            MN  WRIGHT           0729 PM
                 STILL SNOWING.
10.80   ST CLOUD                 MN  STEARNS          0600 PM
                 SNOW TAPERING STC AIRPORT
10.70   1 SW EDINA               MN  HENNEPIN         0730 PM
                 STILL SNOWING LIGHTLY
10.60   3 SW MAPLE GROVE         MN  HENNEPIN         0737 PM
                 STILL SNOWING
10.50   COTTAGE GROVE            MN  WASHINGTON       0557 PM
                 STILL SNOWING
10.40   OTSEGO                   MN  WRIGHT           0435 PM
                 STILL SNOWING
10.20   MINNEAPOLIS              MN  HENNEPIN         0606 PM
                 STILL SNOWING MSP AIRPORT
10.10   5 NW ROSEVILLE           MN  ANOKA            0337 PM
10.00   ANDOVER                  MN  ANOKA            0510 PM
10.00   2 W PRIOR LAKE           MN  SCOTT            0459 PM
                 STILL SNOWING
  9.90   3 SW MINNEAPOLIS         MN  HENNEPIN         0600 PM
                 STILL SNOWING.
  9.50   ORONO                    MN  HENNEPIN         0632 PM
                 SNOW TAPERING
  9.50   3 SW MINNEAPOLIS         MN  HENNEPIN         0606 PM
                 SNOW TAPERING
  9.50   4 NE WOODBURY            MN  WASHINGTON       0459 PM
                 STILL SNOWING
  9.50   1 W DURAND               WI  PEPIN            0356 PM
  9.40   WACONIA                  MN  CARVER           0645 PM
                 STILL SNOWING
  9.40   2 W NEW PRAGUE           MN  SCOTT            0536 PM
                 STILL SNOWING.
  9.40   PLYMOUTH                 MN  HENNEPIN         0347 PM
                 STILL SNOWING
  9.40   RICHFIELD                MN  HENNEPIN         0337 PM
                 STILL SNOWING
  9.30   AUGUSTA                  WI  EAU CLAIRE       0901 PM
  9.30   HUTCHINSON               MN  MCLEOD           0435 PM
                 STILL SNOWING
  9.30   5 S FARMINGTON           MN  DAKOTA           0435 PM
                 SNOW TAPERED
  9.00   FARMINGTON               MN  DAKOTA           0646 PM
                 STILL SNOWING
  9.00   3 S MINNEAPOLIS          MN  HENNEPIN         0606 PM
  9.00   CREDIT RIVER             MN  SCOTT            0454 PM
                 SNOW TAPERED
  8.80   8 S HILLMAN              MN  MORRISON         0736 PM
  8.50   HAMMOND                  WI  ST. CROIX        0538 PM
  8.50   5 SW ST PAUL             MN  RAMSEY           0521 PM
                 STILL SNOWING
  8.40   WATERTOWN                MN  CARVER           0357 PM
                 STILL SNOWING
  7.50   4 SW MINNEAPOLIS         MN  HENNEPIN         0435 PM
                 STILL SNOWING
  7.00   BOYCEVILLE               WI  DUNN             0459 PM
                 STILL SNOWING
  6.50   5 WNW MORA               MN  KANABEC          0856 PM
  5.50   MOTLEY                   MN  MORRISON         0606 PM
                 STILL SNOWING
  5.10   4 S ISLAND LAKE          WI  CHIPPEWA         0721 PM
                 STILL SNOWING.
  5.00   EAU CLAIRE               WI  EAU CLAIRE       0337 PM
                 STILL SNOWING WQOW TV
  4.30   10 N BRUCE               WI  RUSK             0435 PM
                 STILL SNOWING
  4.30   4 ESE CLAYTON            WI  BARRON           0435 PM
                 STILL SNOWING
  3.50   MANKATO                  MN  BLUE EARTH       0701 PM
                 STILL SNOWING
  3.50   1 E OWATONNA             MN  STEELE           0435 PM
                 SNOW TAPERED
  2.00   JIM FALLS                WI  CHIPPEWA         0348 PM
                 STILL SNOWING

White Christmas

  People are already asking me whether we will have a White Christmas this year. With Christmas still 20 days away, the short answer has to be “no one knows”. In weather circles, a "White Christmas" is typically defined as one inch or more of snowcover on Christmas morning.
  The Minnesota State Climatology Office has compiled information on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day snowcover and snowfall.  Their records show that we have a White Christmas in the Twin Cities about 72% of the time.  The last time we did not have a White Christmas in the Twin Cities was last year. We had 4 inches of snow on the ground on December 4th of last year, but that snow melted well before Christmas. Two years ago, we had a whopping 19 inches of snow on the ground on Christmas morning in the Twin Cities.  The deepest snowcover on Christmas morning was 20 inches, back in 1983. You can see Christmas snowcover and snowfall info for the Twin Cities and many other spots in Minnesota at White Christmas.

I’m on Twitter: @RonTrenda and LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/rontrenda  

November recap and December outlook

  We had some wild temperature swings in November. In the Twin Cities there were three days with highs in the 60s, and three days with highs in the 20s. November was slightly more than three degrees above normal.

  Looking ahead, the December outlook from the Climate Prediction Center of the National Weather Service doesn’t show a tendency toward either warmth or extreme chill. The Twin Cities area has equal chances of above normal or below normal temperatures, with a very slight tendency toward above normal temperatures over far southeastern Minnesota:

  In case you’re wondering, the Climate Prediction Center’s precipitation outlook doesn’t show a tendency toward either a wet or a dry December.  

  I’m on Twitter: @RonTrenda and LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/rontrenda 

Thanksgiving weather 2012

  Thanksgiving outdoors? It’s an option this year. Mild temperatures might coax you into spending some time out on your deck or patio.

   Highs in the upper 50s are expected in the Twin Cities this Thanksgiving, although temps will drop and winds will increase as we go through the afternoon and into the evening. We topped out at 59 degrees on Thanksgiving Day last year. That’s impressive, since our average high this time of year is only in the upper 30s. According to the Minnesota State Climatology Office, a Thanksgiving Day high temperature of 50 degrees or warmer has happened only 10 times in the past 140 years! An extensive review of Twin Cities Thanksgiving Day weather records can be found at Thanksgiving .

  I hope that you enjoy safe travel and good times this Thanksgiving!

  I’m on Twitter: @RonTrenda and LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/rontrenda

  

 

Warm memories

  Our incredible warm streak has ended. October was 1.4 degrees cooler than normal in the Twin Cities. October probably seemed extra chilly because we had seen 16 consecutive warmer-than-normal months from June 2011 through September 2012. Included in that toasty stretch were the following:

·        March 2012 was the warmest March in Twin Cities history

·        March through May 2012 was the warmest meteorological spring in Twin Cities history

·        July 2012 was the second warmest July in Twin Cities history

·        June through August 2012 was the third warmest meteorological summer in Twin Cities history

  Additional notes about our impressive stretch of warmth are posted on the Twin Cities National Weather Service site (NWS) and on the Minnesota State Climatology Office site (MNClimate).

  Looking ahead, the November outlook from the Climate Prediction Center of the National Weather Service doesn’t show a strong tendency toward either warmth or wintry chill:
 

 The Twin Cities area has equal chances of above or below normal temperatures, with a slight tendency toward above normal temperatures over western Minnesota.

  I’d be happy with a few mild days before the big snowflakes fly…I haven’t finished the raking yet.

 
  I’m on Twitter: @RonTrenda and LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/rontrenda

First flakes

  There’s something amazing about the first snowflakes of autumn. Thursday started out with steady rain, which changed to a mixture of rain and snow. Only a trace of snow was recorded at MSP airport, but most people were talking about the flakes, not the rain. Lost in the snow buzz was the fact that the rain tally at MSP airport was .75”, a new record rainfall total for October 25th in the Twin Cities.

  We’ve been in a drought, so it was great to see a generous dose of rain. Despite the soaking, our October rainfall total is still three-quarters of an inch below normal in the Twin Cities. We’re also about three and one-half inches below normal since September 1st. It would be nice to see more rain before winter sets in…. 

  I’m on Twitter: @RonTrenda and LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/rontrenda

      

 

Finally, some raindrops

  I heard someone call today (Friday) a “wet day”. We did have off and on showers this morning into early afternoon, but the total rain tally was only .21” at MSP airport. Wow, our standards of wet have really changed during this dry stretch! That’s to be expected, since we just saw the second-driest September in Twin Cities history. You can impress your friends with this fact: until today’s showers, our most recent day with two-tenths of an inch (or more) of rain at MSP airport was way back on August 15th.  

  Looking ahead, I see several rain opportunities during the coming week. It’s unlikely that this will go down as one of the top 10 driest Octobers in history. That’s a good thing…

  I’m on Twitter: @RonTrenda and LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/rontrenda

Drought expands

  The past week was bone dry over most of Minnesota. As a result, the U.S. Drought Monitor (http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/) shows that drought conditions have worsened in parts of our state. Here is the current map:

  The map and chart show that 99.95% of Minnesota is experiencing drought conditions, compared to 96.32% of Minnesota one week ago. Currently, 47.38% of Minnesota is experiencing severe to extreme drought, compared to 44.89% of Minnesota one week ago. The Minnesota State Climatology Office has detailed discussions (updated weekly) of Minnesota drought conditions at (http://climate.umn.edu/doc/journal/drought_2012.htm).  

  I’m on Twitter: @RonTrenda and LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/rontrenda

  

Minnesota drought update

  New info from the U.S. Drought Monitor (http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/) shows that drought conditions have worsened over Minnesota during the past two weeks. Here is the current map:

  The map and chart show that 96.32% of Minnesota is experiencing drought conditions, compared to 64.11% of Minnesota two weeks ago. Currently, 44.89% of Minnesota is experiencing severe to extreme drought, compared to 28.17% of Minnesota two weeks ago. Only 3.68% of Minnesota is not considered to be in drought. Conditions there are classified as abnormally dry, and parts of the south metro fall into that category. The Minnesota State Climatology Office has a detailed discussion of Minnesota drought conditions at (http://climate.umn.edu/doc/journal/drought_2012.htm).

   Farmers still hope to see some rain, to recharge our soil moisture. A substantial rainfall or two would also help our lawns, lakes, rivers and creeks. Watching and hoping…

  I’m on Twitter: @RonTrenda and LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/rontrenda

  

North Shore beauty

  It happens every autumn. The first rush of dry, cool air stirs up thoughts of fall colors and a trip to the North Shore. My girlfriend Deb and I were there this past weekend, enjoying perfect weather and the full spectrum of fall colors.  

  On our hike up to White Sky Rock, north of Lutsen, we saw this bright display:

  A few miles southwest of White Sky Rock, the popular Oberg Mountain hiking trail provided many beautiful sights:

 

                     (You can left-click on any of these photos for a larger view)

  It's just a short drive up Highway 61 from Lutsen to the beautiful town of Grand Marais. The photo below shows the entrance to Grand Marais harbor. The Sawtooth Mountains, including Oberg Mountain, can be seen in the distance:

   It was a fun trip…we’ll be back!

   I’m on Twitter: @RonTrenda and LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/rontrenda

  

Warm streak extended

  Our warm streak is safe. Despite some chilly September days, including last Saturday and Sunday, our average temperature this month is running a bit above normal in the Twin Cities. We started September very warm, with highs of 86, 88, 92 and then another 92. Add in the 95 degree high on September 11th, and the die was cast for a warmer than normal September. We’ll end this month with high temperatures several degrees above normal on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. In case you’re wondering, our average high is 67 degrees this time of year.

  This is our 16th consecutive month of above average temperatures. Our warm streak included the warmest March and the second-warmest July in Twin Cities history. Looking ahead, some indicators point to a warmer than normal October. That’s OK with me, I have a lot of unfinished outdoor projects.

  Update: On September 30th, the Climate Prediction Center of the National Weather Service revised their October temperature outlook for Minnesota. It now shows a tendency for below normal temperatures.

  I’m on Twitter: @RonTrenda and LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/rontrenda

A very dry stretch

 The latest info from the U.S. Drought Monitor  http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu shows much of Minnesota experiencing drought conditions right now: 

  It shows 64.11% of Minnesota in drought conditions, and that includes roughly the northern half of the Twin Cities metro area. An additional 32.09% of Minnesota, including the southern half of the metro area, is abnormally dry right now.  One year ago, only 16.63% of Minnesota was experiencing drought. The Minnesota State Climatology Office has detailed weekly updates on drought conditions at http://climate.umn.edu/doc/journal/drought_2012.htm.

  During dry spells like this, I often think of my grandparents. They were Minnesota farmers who didn’t have irrigation systems for their fields. I remember visiting the farm one day and being disappointed that it was cloudy and rainy. My grandfather was looking out at the rain and smiling…it was just what the corn crop needed!

  I’m on Twitter: @RonTrenda and LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/rontrenda

  

 

A return to Minnehaha Falls

  I checked out Minnehaha Falls yesterday. I’m not sure that it qualifies as a “falls” right now...it’s more of a “trickle”. Here’s how it looks:

                                         (Left-click on pic for detailed view)

  It looked a lot different on May 6th:

 

  In May, the water gushing over the falls and splashing down below was pleasantly loud. Now, it’s strangely quiet.

  Why no falls? We’ve seen very little rain the past six weeks, so water flow in Minnehaha Creek is extremely low, almost non-existent. Our dry spell has also dropped water levels on Lake Minnetonka, so Gray’s Bay Dam was closed around August 20th (Dam), and water is no longer being released into Minnehaha Creek.

  Generous rains will return eventually, and our familiar Minnehaha Creek and Minnehaha Falls will also return. In the meantime, bring a camera if you visit Minnehaha Falls…it doesn’t look like this very often!

 
I’m on Twitter: @RonTrenda and LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/rontrenda  

The heat is gone

 
 

  We topped out at 92 degrees in the Twin Cities on Tuesday. Our Labor Day high was also 92. We’ve hit 90 degrees or warmer on 30 days this year. Here’s the breakdown, month by month:

  Month    Days 90 or warmer

    May                 2

    June                8

     July              14

     Aug.               4

     Sep.               2

  On average, we see a high temperature of 90 or warmer on 13 days per year in the Twin Cities. Our 30 days of 90 or warmer this year is impressive, but it’s nowhere near a record. The Twin Cities record is a whopping 44 days, set back in 1988. I remember that summer well, since I had no air-conditioning in my house!

  Cooler temps have arrived, and I don’t see us returning to 90 anytime soon. You can impress your friends with this weather nugget: our latest 90 degree reading in the Twin Cities was on October 10th, in 1928.

 

  I’m on Twitter: @RonTrenda and LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/rontrenda  

September outlook

  August was warmer than normal in the Twin Cities. Toasty temperatures during the final six days of the month offset the cool stretch that we saw in the middle of August. Cool months are becoming rare around here…May of 2011 was the last month that was cooler than normal in the Twin Cities!

  Looking ahead a bit, the September outlook from the Climate Prediction Center of the National Weather Service shows a tendency for above-normal temperatures over Minnesota and Wisconsin:

  The outlook doesn’t mean that you should expect above-normal temperatures every day, but there is a good chance that the 30 days of September will average out above normal. I hope that you have a great Labor Day weekend!

   I’m on Twitter: @RonTrenda and LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/rontrenda

Rally continues

  Summer has made a nice comeback. Twin Cities temperatures were below normal almost every day from August 9th through August 22nd, but they’ve been above normal since last Thursday. We’ll have toasty high temperatures and unusually warm low temperatures the rest of August, so we’ll end up warmer than normal for the month. We’re getting used to warmth…every month since June of 2011 has been warmer than normal in the Twin Cities!

  I’ve noticed some isolated splashes of fall color on my travels around the metro. Here are a couple of pics taken Sunday along Minnehaha Parkway in Minneapolis:

                             (You can left-click on the photo for a detailed view)

  I’m on Twitter: @RonTrenda and LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/rontrenda