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

Really cool

  Our average high in the Twin Cities this August has been 81.8 degrees. That’s close to average, and a nice break from the sweltering heat of July. Today (Wednesday) is very summery, with dewpoints in the 60s and an afternoon high in the 80s. If you like summery weather, get out in it this afternoon…a big change is coming. An impressive cold front will move through tonight, and much cooler highs are expected on Thursday. You can expect Twin Cities high temperatures in the cool 70s Friday through Sunday. 

  Looking ahead a bit, the 6-10 day outlook from the Climate Prediction Center of the National Weather Service shows a tendency for below-normal temperatures over Minnesota and Wisconsin next week:

  If cool temperatures do linger through next week, we’ll be well on our way to a cooler than normal August. That would end an impressive warm streak. We haven’t had a month that was cooler than normal in the Twin Cities since May of 2011!.

  

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

Warm August outlook

  Have you lost track of “normal”? Our average high temperature this time of year in the Twin Cities is 83 degrees. We topped that this afternoon, and Friday will be another warm day. If you’d like to give your air-conditioner a break, hang in there….cooler temperatures are on tap for the weekend.

  Looking ahead a bit, the updated August outlook from the Climate Prediction Center of the National Weather Service still 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 31 days of August will average out above normal. July in the Twin Cities ended up 6.4 degrees above normal, and our average high temperature was a whopping 89.9 degrees. In case you’re wondering, our Twin Cities average monthly high temperature has been over 90 degrees only two times:  92.5 degrees in July 1936 and 90.2 degrees in July 1988. Hope you have a great August!

  

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

Historic July warmth

  We made weather history today. Our temperature topped 80 degrees, making this the first July in Twin Cities history with a high temperature of 80 degrees or warmer on all 31 days!

  Our air conditioners and fans have been working overtime. Only one July (in records going back to 1873) had a higher average monthly temperature, which is the average of all the daily high temperatures and low temperatures. Our Twin Cities July 2012 average temperature of 80.2 degrees is second only to the 81.4 degrees posted in 1936. Here are the four warmest Julys in Twin Cities history, courtesy of the Minnesota State Climatology Office:

 Rank   Avg.temp.   Year

    1.       81.4 ... 1936

     2.       80.2 ... 2012

     3.       79.9 ... 1935

     4.       79.6 ... 2006

  The Minnesota State Climatology Office has posted (Hot July) a list of our ten warmest Julys. Another impressive stat: we’ve hit 90 degrees or warmer at MSP airport on 24 days this year. On average, we reach 90 degrees or warmer on only 13 days per year. The record was 44 days of 90 degrees or warmer, set back in 1988. I remember that summer!

 

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

Streak ends, and a look at August

  The high temperature at MSP on Wednesday was only 83 degrees. Why is that important? Well, it was the first time since June 26 that we didn’t have a MSP high temperature of 85 degrees or warmer. Our streak of 85 or warmer ended at 21 days, falling short of the Twin Cities record of 23 days set back in 1941. Based on data posted by the Twin Cities NWS (Summer heat), here’s a listing of the top streaks of 85 degrees or warmer in the Twin Cities:

 
  Rank  Number of days    End date

     1.         23             8/11/1941  

     2.         21             7/17/2012  

     3.         20             8/04/1935

     4.         17             7/08/1949     

     

  Looking ahead, we could see a warm August. The latest 30 day outlook from the Climate Prediction Center of the National Weather Service shows a tendency for above-normal temperatures over Minnesota and Wisconsin:

  We’re no strangers to warm temperatures around here…May of 2011 was the last month that was cooler than normal in the Twin Cities!

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

Hottest July

  We’ve seen several hot and steamy days this July. The Twin Cities average high of 98.2 degrees from July 1 through July 6 was the warmest ever recorded for those dates. As I mentioned last week, we hit 100 degrees or warmer twice in early July. …that's notable because the last time that we reached 100 degrees or greater more than once in the same year was 1988.

  It’s been hotter. According to the Minnesota State Climatology Office, the record for most days with 100 degrees or greater is nine, in 1936 (100 degrees). There was a stretch from July 6 through July 14 of 1936 when we topped 100 degrees on eight of nine days. Here are those official Twin Cities highs from 1936:

                 High (1936)

July   6    104

July   7    101 

July   8    101

July   9      96

July 10    106

July 11    106

July 12    106

July 13    105

July 14    108

  Keep in mind, home air conditioning was virtually non-existent in 1936. Some Twin Citians sought relief from the heat by sleeping along the shores of city lakes. Others sought relief in movie theaters, which had primitive air conditioning systems.

  Warm temperatures are expected through this weekend, but we aren’t likely to hit 100 in the Twin Cities. And I should mention rain…we need some rain for our lawns and farm fields. We have “rain opportunities” later this afternoon, tonight and Friday, and we could see some thunderstorms. A passing shower or storm is also possible on Saturday. Have a great weekend!

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

Hot start

  It’s been a hot and humid start to July for much of Minnesota. In the Twin Cities, we officially hit 100 degrees or warmer twice in the first 6 days of July. That's only happened once before, in 1949. Here’s how our high temperatures for July 1 through July 6 compare to the same period in 1949:  

           2012  1949

July 1     94      94

July 2     99      95

July 3     97    100

July 4   101    100

July 5     96      98

July 6   102      90

  The average high for July 1 through July 6 was 96.2 degrees in 1949. We topped that this year, with an average high of 98.2 degrees, making this the warmest 6 day start to July in Twin Cities history. By the way, daily low temperatures from July 1 through July 6 were warmer this year than they were during the same period in 1949.

  High and low temperatures will be cooler and closer to normal this weekend. We’ve earned a break from the heat.