Updraft: August 7, 2009 Archive

Comparing the dry growing seasons of 1988 and 2009

Posted at 10:04 AM on August 7, 2009 by Mark Seeley

Throughout my travels and conversations around the state this year several people have mentioned how dry this growing season has been and few have spoken about surplus or excessive moisture. Indeed, this is the 5th consecutive summer where drought has appeared in some sections of the state.

This year much of the drought is concentrated across the central counties from west to east.. In fact some locations are drier this growing season than they were back in 1988, the last widespread extreme drought in the state. Here are some comparisons between the rainfall deficits (inches below normal) for the 2009 growing season and that of 1988 using April 1 as a starting date and running through the first six days of August:

Morris 2009 -8.73" 1988 -6.33"
Montevideo 2009 -6.89" 1988 -8.06"
Redwood Falls 2009 -8.27" 1988 -8.99"
Willmar 2009 -7.11" 1988 -8.69"
Milan 2009 -8.32" 1988 -6.97"
Olivia 2009 -6.11" 1988 -8.18"
MSP Airport 2009 -7.19" 1988 -7.64"
Forest Lake 2009 -8.19" 1988 -5.82"
Rosemount 2009 -7.27" 1988 -7.89"
Waseca 2009 -7.87" 1988 -7.91"

From an impacts standpoint, the 1988 drought was more widespread and severe. The seasonal temperatures during that drought were also 5 to 8 degrees F warmer than those we have experienced in 2009, which has been a cooler than normal growing season.

Soaking rain greets metro

Posted at 1:26 PM on August 7, 2009 by Paul Huttner

NWS doppler storm total rainfall shows a large area of 1 inch plus rainfall in drought areas near the Twin Cities.

It's about time.

A large area of rain and thunder moved through the Twin Cities this morning. It was the heaviest rain of the summer here at the Huttner Weather Lab in Deephaven and at many other areas in and southwest of the metro.

The rain gauge here at the weather lab reads exactly 1" as of 1pm today.

Here are some other rainfall amounts from around the area.

-Glencoe 1.6"
-Eden Prairie 1.13"
-MSP Airport .89"
-St. Paul .78"
-Crystal .75"
-Mankato .43"
-St. Cloud .25"

Doppler storm total radar estimates (below) show a large swath 1 inch plus rainfall from near Willmar through Hutchinson to Glencoe and Norwood Young America in Carver County just southwest of the metro.

The rain comes at a critical time for some areas that have been upgraded to extreme drought in this weeks U.S. Drought Monitor.

There is a chance for more thunderstorms and possibly some severe weather tonight and again over the weekend. A warm front will push heat and humidity into southern Minnesota and the metro over the weekend. It looks like we will be near 90 in the Twin Cities Saturday and Sunday with plenty of humidity.

Keep the weather radios handy this weekend, enjoy the beach, and hope for more soaking rains at night!

PH