Updraft: October 25, 2007 Archive

La Nina winter climatology and Hunter's Moon

Posted at 7:01 AM on October 25, 2007 by Paul Huttner (1 Comments)

Enjoy the full Hunter's Moon, rising at 5:37pm this evening in the metro. The Hunter's Moon is special because it rises only about 30 minutes later each night, as opposed to closer to an hour after sunset at other times of the year. This is due to the narrow angle in the ecliptic, or plane, of the Earth's orbit around the sun in the evening in the fall.

La Nina conditions are expected to continue in the tropical Pacific this winter.
ENSO Diagnostic Discussion

The climatology of La Nina winters in Minnesota is snowy, but not necessarily cold.

Eleven of the 12 La Nina winters since 1970 have featured average or above average snowfall. That's 92 percent of the time. In those winters, snowfall has averaged 65.3" compared to the 30-year average of 55.8".

Only seven of 12 La Nina winters (58 percent) of those winters have featured below average temps.

Twin Cities La Nina Winter Climatology

So the odds favor plenty of snow, and not too much cold this winter!

PH

Curtain going down

Posted at 1:35 PM on October 25, 2007 by Craig Edwards

Observers reported a general trend of colors emerging randomly this fall. The seasonal backdrop of leaves being transformed into a breathtaking spectacle of nature never got in sync. Foliage was befuddled by drought, flooding rains and only minor intrusions of crisp frosty air. Gale force winds scoured the trees of leaves in central Minnesota on Tuesday.

The spotlight cast by the Hunter’s moon will soon dim as well as the curtain goes down on the best of autumn.

Check out the expert’s report for observing fall colors on this last weekend in October.
DNR Autumn Color Report