Updraft Category Archive: Record

Wettest May? Weekend severe risk; 97 Sunday? Grays Bay Dam open

Posted at 5:07 PM on May 25, 2012 by Paul Huttner (0 Comments)
Filed under: Climate, Rainfall, Record, Severe weather

8.18" rainfall at MSP Airport so far this May

2nd wettest May on record so far at MSP Airport

Wettest May on record for some metro & Minnesota locations
(More from Mark Seeley below)

Mixed weather bag Memorial Day Weekend - some rain, sun and heat

Hot sticky Sunday 90 degrees & humid (60s dew points)

Severe late Sunday? Severe storm risk late PM & evening into early Monday

Mixed Memorial Day: Rain early, some PM sun?

This "Bud's" for you? (no not the beer) - Dissipating Hurricane "Bud" may inject some moisture into by Minnesota Monday

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"May-soon"

Welcome to the May Monsoon.

Another month, another record in Minnesota. When did "extreme" weather become "normal" weather in Minnesota?

According to my MPR colleague Dr. Mark Seeley, this is already the wettest May on record at several Minnesota locations, and we still have a week to go.

It's the 2nd wettest May at MSP Airport with 8.18" so far. Another 2.16" is doable this month, even this weekend. That would make it the wettest May on record at MSP Airport.

Several additional locations arte in the top 5.

Here's an excerpt from Mark's earlier Updraft post.

With the frequency of heavy thunderstorms dominating the Minnesota landscape this month, some observers are reporting one of the wettest Mays in history. Currently on a statewide basis this May ranks among the top ten wettest in history. For some individual climate stations it is already among the top five, including:

Chanhassen 9.22 inches (wettest ever)
Chaska 8.53 inches (4th wettest)
Jordan 9.17 inches (3rd wettest)
MSP Airport 8.18 inches (2nd wettest)
Forest Lake 9.62 inches (wettest ever)
Windom 8.40 inches (2nd wettest)
Pipestone 8.29 inches (4th wettest)
New Ulm 8.16 inches (4th wettest)
Mora 8.56 inches (wettest ever)
Floodwood 7.32 inches (wettest ever)

Tonka up 5": Grays Bay Dam open for 1st time since Labor Day weekend

I've recorded nearly 4" of rain at the Huttner Weather Lab this week on the east end of Lake Minnetonka. It's no surprise that the lake is responding, and the water level is up 5" (.42 feet) since Wednesday according to the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District web site.

The Grays Bay Dam feeds Minnehaha Creek, and the dam has now been opened by MCWD (12CFS) for the first time since it was closed early last September.

Source: Minnehaha Creek Watershed District

Further downstream, Minnehaha Falls is back to life and roaring away these days. 3"+ rainfall pushed level of Minnehaha Creek about 3 feet higher this week, and the Falls look and sound great.

Source: USGS

This is a great weekend to visit Minnehaha Falls. Sea Salt anyone?

Mixed Weather bag: Pick your "sunny" spots this weekend

This will actually be a pretty typical Memorial Day weekend in Minnesota. Some thunder & rain, some sun, and even some heat.

Our active pattern will continue this weekend. Timing summer rain is one of the tougher forecasts we make. The models do a much better job with big, "stratiform" winter rain/snow events than with finicky, "convective" summertime thunderstorms.

That said, here's my best shot at picking your "sunny spots" this weekend.

Friday night: Scattered showers & T-Storms Low 57. Wind E 5-12 mph.

Saturday: Mixed clouds with scattered shower/T-Storm chances. Trending sunnier late PM & evening? High 78. Wind SE 10-20 mph. Choppy lakes.

Saturday Night: Clearing, warmer and more humid. Starting to feel like summer. Low near 66. Balmy south breeze 5-15 mph.

Sunday: Instant July. Best beach & lake day. Mostly sunny hazy, stinking hot & humid. Record hgh near 97! (Record is 95) Wind S 5-15 mph. Growing severe risk late PM.

Sunday Night: Severe storm risk. Heavy rainfall again possible. Low near 65.

Memorial Day: AM showers & T-Storms may linger. Chance for PM & evening sun? High 74. Wind NW 5-15 mph.

Severe weather: Keep the weather radio (and MPR) handy

There is a slight risk for a severe storm Saturday, but all the ingredients may come together late Sunday for severe storms in Minnesota and western Wisconsin.

A cold front will cut into a hot, steamy air mass over Minnesota by late Sunday. Severe storms may rapidly erupt along the front as the "cap" breaks Sunday afternoon.

SPC has already placed a risk "bull's eye" over Minnesota for late Sunday.

Source: NOAA/SPC

Of the 3 summer holiday weekends in Minnesota; you're "climatologically" most likely to get wet during Memorial Day Weekend. It's no big surprise that we'll see some ran this weekend, and maybe some severe weather.

We're now working into the peak time of year for severe weather in Minnesota. Severe weather frequency climbs rapidly in May, and peaks in June.

Is it any big surprise that we should see a few severe storms on Memorial Day weekend?

This "Bud's" for you!

As if another potent low jetting for Minnesota wasn't enough, how about a little "tropical moisture" with your thunderstorms?

Hurricane Bud reached Cat 3 this week. That's the earliest ever for the eastern Pacific according to Jeff Masters at Weather Underground.

Category 2 Hurricane Bud is weakening, but still presents a formidable rainfall threat as it continues north-northeast towards an expected landfall between Manzanillo and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico late Friday night. Thursday night at 11 pm EDT, Bud peaked at Category 3 status, with 115 mph winds, becoming the earliest Category 3 hurricane on record in the Eastern Pacific. Recent Satellite loops show that Bud has weakened, though. The eye has disappeared, and the cloud pattern has shrunk and appears squashed, due to an increase in dry air, wind shear, and cooler sea surface temperatures affecting the storm. These hostile conditions should continue to weaken Bud to a Category 1 hurricane or strong tropical storm by the time of landfall.

Source: NASA MODIS

The remnants of dissipating Hurricane Bud along the Mexican coast may get picked up in the upper flow ahead of our low pressure system, and "injected" into Minnesota by Sunday night and Monday.

Source: NOAA/NHC

The extra infusion of tropical moisture could enhance rainfall in Minnesota. It's relatively rare, but moisture from the tropical Pacific does occasionally get pumped into our storms, and this weekend could be one of those events. Sometimes the models "misunderestimate" the amount of additional moisture being pumped into this systems. If it does, there is a chance that we could see another bout of torrential rains linger into Memorial Day.

MPR (and former WCCO radio) meteorologist Bill Endersen will man the MPR weather lab this weekend and have updates as needed.

Stay tuned, and have a great weekend!

PH

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Heavy rains drench a large part of Minnesota

Posted at 5:12 PM on May 24, 2012 by Craig Edwards (3 Comments)
Filed under: Rainfall, Record, Storms, Thunderstorms

Excessive rainfall drenched a large region of Minnesota the past 24 hours. The far northwest corner of the state missed out on the more-than-generous rainfall amounts.

Doppler rainfall estimates since Wednesday through 5 p.m. CDT
Source:Weatherunderground

Here are some reports from the National Weather Service in Chanhassen of rainfall from midday Wednesday through 7 a.m. Thursday.

Strong-to-severe thunderstorms formed in far eastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin Thursday afternoon. Wind damage was reported in Eau Claire, Wis., as well as Fillmore and Winona Counties in Minnesota. Here's a list of storm reports from the LaCrosse NWS office. Click on previous version for earlier reports.

In case you missed it, the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport reached a record high of 89 degrees on Wednesday. The previous record was 88 set in 2010 and 1874.

As Memorial Day weekend approaches, the weather will quiet down for 36 hours or so. Temperatures should be a tad below normal on Friday. Cloud cover and a risk of showers are likely to hold down temperatures on Saturday. A surge of warmer air arrives in southern Minnesota on Sunday.

Sunday's predicted high temperatures.
Source: NOAA/NWS

Warmer temperatures, increasing south winds and humidity will lead to severe storms Sunday evening and Sunday night. You will want to stay tuned for updates on the risk of nasty weather later in the holiday weekend.

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Unprecedented: Minnesota's warmest month ever vs. average?

Posted at 9:15 AM on March 27, 2012 by Paul Huttner (2 Comments)
Filed under: Climate, Climate change, Record

+16.7 degrees vs. average at MSP Airport through March 26th

+15.1 degrees - warmest month ever vs. average in January 2006
(Looking at MN Climate Working Group data)

Warmest month ever vs. average? March 2012 is on pace to be the warmest month ever vs. average temp in 121 years of data

Windy Tuesday: Wind advisories flying for gusts to 40 mph today

80 by Sunday? Another May-June weekend ahead

Source: Twin Cities NWS

Uncharted Waters: We're #1?

We've sliced and diced our unreal (okay surreal) March "heat wave" a hundred different ways over the past two weeks. Here's one more...and try this on for a while.

This may end up as the warmest month ever compared to average at MSP Airport!

Through Monday March temperatures are running +16.7 degrees at MSP Airport according to the Twin Cities NWS.

Source: NWS

So far this March our average monthly temp at MSP is 48.3 degrees.

If we hold near that level through Saturday (quite possible) we could close out the month at or above 15.1 degrees above average for March.

If you look at records for the 12 months of the year in the metro...the warmest month ever compared to average was January 2006, when temps soared to +15.1 degrees vs. average.

If we sustain that average, March 2012 could be the warmest month ever when compared to average in the past 121 years of data for the Twin Cities.

We'll need to see where we end up this week, and wait for the climate gurus at MN Climate Working Group to crunch those numbers to confirm.

But this March is not just unreal, it may be the warmest month ever vs. average in Minnesota history.

More records fall:

I could bore you to death with the dozens of ways this month is blasting out records, but here are a select few that I think tell the story best.
(Courtesy of Twin Cities NWS)

Record Setting Weather For Temps and Moisture...Updated March 26th

"How unusual has the weather been across our area during mid-March? Here is a breakdown of the record conditions that have been noted from March 10th to present.

These charts show the high and low temperatures for the Twin Cities (measured at Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport), St. Cloud, and Eau Claire, as well as the record temperatures. Several new temperature records have been set since March 10th, when the unprecedented warm up began."

Source: NWS

Several Midwestern Cities are experiencing their warmest March on record including Milwaukee, Chicago, & St. Louis.

Is this the "new normal?"

Scientific American has a great piece on why some think this may be the new normal when it comes to our warming climate.

As we continue to melt critical ice sheets (48 cubic miles from the Greenland Ice sheet per year since the 1990s!)The lottery odds of the future may continue to favor extreme warmth such as we've seen this month.

By Nina Chestney

LONDON (Reuters) - "The world is close to reaching tipping points that will make it irreversibly hotter, making this decade critical in efforts to contain global warming, scientists warned on Monday.

"This is the critical decade. If we don't get the curves turned around this decade we will cross those lines," said Will Steffen, executive director of the Australian National University's climate change institute, speaking at a conference in London."

Changeable week ahead:

Today's winds will bring a warm up and a brief run at 70 (we'll spend most of the day in the 60s), followed by a cool front that will drop highs back into the 50s Wednesday & Thursday.

Tuesday: Wind advsiory - SW gusts to 40 mph+ possible. High near 70, temps falling through the 60s late PM.

Wednesday: Bright sun. Cooler & less wind. High 54.

Thursday: Frosty start? Upper 30s early. Clouds & rain chances increase late PM & evening. High near 56.

Source: ISU

Friday: AM showers ending PM. High near 60.

Saturday: Mostly sunny & milder breezes. High near 70.

Sunday April 1st: Sunny breezy warm & humid?? High near 82.
(No foolin')

Source: ISU

Enjoy!

PH

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Winds whip up some record temperatures

Posted at 4:19 PM on December 26, 2011 by Craig Edwards (1 Comments)
Filed under: Record

Brisk winds from the west and southwest swept milder air into the Dakotas, Minneasota and Wisconsin today. The lack of snow cover in the upper Midwest, along with the parched soil helped to maximize the warmth of late December sunshine to boast the thermometer to record readings.

Late this afternoon St. Cloud topped out at 49 breaking the previous record of 48 degrees set in 1905. The temperature at the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport was 51 degrees at 4PM, which ties the record for the date set in 1936. *Updated at 525PM, the International Airport reach 52 degrees this afternoon surpassing the record of 51.

International Falls began the morning with the mercury above freezing and climbed to a high of 41 degrees. International Falls fell short of the record of 42 set in 1994 (corected from earlier post). Even Duluth got into the action reaching a record high of 43, besting the old record of 42 set in 1908.

Temperatures at 3PM.

Winds whipped above 40 miles an hour acoss the state, including 45 mph at Rochester, Waseca and Duluth. By sunset winds had diminished slightly. Cooler air is funneling into the upper Midwest as winds turn more to the north.

The RUC model forecast for midnight tonight still maintains temperatures close to 40 degrees in south central Minnesota. Winds continue to slacken this evening in all but the Arrowhead region.

After a chilly and rather blustery day on Tuesday, with temperatures more December-like, mild air attempts a comeback on Wednesday. The push of milder air is likely to enhance to probability of needed moisture.

There is a chance for up to a quater inch of liquid precipitation Wednesday night into Thursday through central Minnesota. With the moisture falling as snow, there is the possibility for an inch or two of slushy accumulation from Morris to Hutchinson. Could the Twin Cities get in on the light snow? Stay tuned.

Plans for New Years Eve? The weather is expected to be quiet.
CE

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2011: Most extreme weather year on record? Aurora Alert tonight!

Posted at 8:56 AM on November 28, 2011 by Paul Huttner (3 Comments)
Filed under: Astronomy, Aurora, Record, Winter 2011-12

Snow free at the weather lab these days!

Weather Lab "Snow-O-meter"

3" Season snowfall to date at MSP Airport

9.3" already by this date last year

8.6 "average" season snowfall so far

-5.6" season snowfall vs. average so far

Driest fall in 141 years at MSP Airport (and in much of Minnesota)

14 Billion Dollar Weather Disasters in the USA in 2011, a new record!

53 billion dollars in weather related damages in the USA in 2011

58% chance of 'Northern Lights" tonight according to NOAA

Sun returns to the weather lab Monday morning

Sunshine Alert!

The sun is finally back today in much of Minnesota as a stubborn gray cloud deck pushes east. Look for temps to rebound over mostly snow free Minnesota today.

Highs should crack 40 in most areas this afternoon!

Snowfall drought developing:

We're already -5.6" behind average snowfall at MSP in the delayed winter of 2011-'12. We're also a good 6"+ behind last year's snowfall pace.

With no major snow in sight, the drought will deepen.

The next chance for significant snow may not arrive until a week from Saturday (December 10th) according to the latest GFS model runs.

Drought Deepens: MSP to record driest Fall season in 141 years

With no precip expected through Wednesday, it looks like MSP Airport and much of southern Minnesota will set the all time record for the driest fall (Sep-Nov) on record.

We've managed just a scant 1.14" of precip at MSP since September 1st. That's well below the previous record of 1.54" in 1889. Records began in the Twin Cities n 1871.

According ot the latest U.S. Drought Monitor, a full 40.58% of Minnesota is now in moderate to severe drought.

Another record in a remarkable string for Minnesota

It's not your imagination. The weather has been remarkably extreme in Minnesota over the past 18 months.

Check out some of the major weather records we've set in Minnesota & Wisconsin in just the past 18 months.

-Most active tornado day, month and year on record in 2010

-Driest fall on record at MSP

From tornadoes, to drought, to snowmageddon and back to drought again, it's enough to make your local meteorologists head spin!

USA 2011: Most extreme weather year on record?

It's not just Minnesota.

By some measures 2011 is the most extreme (catastrophic) weather year on record in the USA.

So far in 2011 we've had 14 separate "Billion Dollar Weather Disasters" in 2011 according to NOAA and insurance industry sources.

By dollar amount the $53 billion in losses is the 5th largest on record. Only 2005 (Katrina, Rita) 2008 (Ike) 1998 & 1980 (Midwest droughts) surpass 2011 for losses.

Here's the list.

Weather Underground's Jeff Masters has a nice summary here.

Aurora Alert Tonight!

Keep an eye to the northern sky after dark tonight. According to NOAA, there's a 58% chance of northern lights tonight.

Another substantial CME is racing earthward, and is expected to slam into the earth's magnetosphere at around noon today. (+ or- 7 hours)

Here's more from spaceweather.com

As always it's best to get away from city lights and generally look north. You may see colored rays or curtains shimmering in the sky after dark tonight if the aurora materializes.

Happy Aurora hunting tonight!

PH

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Once in a lifetime; Warmest October on record so far!

Posted at 8:46 AM on October 10, 2011 by Paul Huttner (1 Comments)
Filed under: Fall, Record

Warmest October on record so far at MSP Airport!

Confirmation for Pete Boulay at the Minnesota State Climatology Office this morning that this is by far the warmest october on record in much of Minnesota, and certainly in the Twin Cities. (My highlights)

"Hi Paul,

-Pete"

The numbers for October 2011 continue to amaze.

83 degree high at MSP Sunday

+21 degrees vs. average for October 9th

8th consecutive day at or above 80 degrees

58 year record tied for consecutive 80 degree warmth in October!
(Truly a "once in a lifetime weather event" for most Minnesotans!)

+15.4 degrees vs. average so far in October at MSP Airport!

-Anyone for 9 in a row? If the thermometer at MSP Airport hits 80 Monday (and we have a shot) that will make this the longest run of consecutive 80 degree days in October weather history at MSP.

Welcome to "Minnezona."

If you want to put it in some perspective, this is what it feels like to live in Arizona. Day after day of gorgeous, sunny, dry weather. It's the kind weather of monotony you can get used to in a hurry. Planning an outdoor event? No problem. Need a "Plan B" is case of rain? Probably not. Tee time tomorrow? See you there.

Best weather in the nation?

Yes it's subjective, and we are creeping into drought. But if you look at the benefit to weekend travel/tourism in Minnesota and the boost for outdoor work for landscapers and contractors, farmers and the grain harvest...this stretch of weather is likely the best weather in the nation.

Temperatures Sunday afternoon show 80s bubbling north into Minnesota.

The 83 degree high at MSP Airport Sunday was warmer than Tucson (82) New Orleans(81) Tampa and Los Angeles! (74)

Changes ahead: October reality check this week

Two more days of mostly sunny mild weather will finally give way to a real October cold front this week. As the front pushes in Wednesday, some much needed bands of showers should light up radars in Minnesota, and temps will drop a good 20 degrees by week's end.

Look for highs closer to 60 than 80 by Thursday & Friday. Just in case you've lost perspective...the average high for the metro this week is 61 degrees!

Drought Watch: Lake levels dropping fast

Our usually robust streams along the North Shore are a trickle these days. After record flooding this spring, lake and river levels are dropping fast in southern Minnesota.

Lake Minnetonka is down nearly 2 feet since May, and docks that were nearly underwater now seem too high on much of the lake.

Gray's Bay Dam has been closed since September 6th, meaning three is no discharge of water from Lake Minnetonka into Minnehaha Creek these days.

Enjoy two more warm days....then get ready for some big, sweater searching weather changes this week!

PH

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Pattern Change: Last 80 Today? Rain returns next 2 weeks!

Posted at 7:30 AM on October 6, 2011 by Paul Huttner
Filed under: Rainfall, Record

It looks like our taste of July in October may be about to end.

The weather maps are showing signs of a major (cooler & wetter) pattern change in the next two weeks!

October Hot Front:

+10.6 degrees vs. average at MSP Airport so far in October!

80 degrees or warmer 4 of 5 days so far in October

88 degrees new record high Wednesday. (Breaks previous record of 87 set in 1879!)

LOCATION MAX TEMP/ MIN TEMP/ PCPN
DLH : DULUTH MN : 65 / 50 / 0.00/
INL : INTERNATIONAL FALLS MN : 79 / 50 / 0.00/
MSP : MINNEAPOLIS MN : 88 / 62 / 0.00/
RST : ROCHESTER MN : 85 / 55 / 0.00/
STC : ST CLOUD MN : 86 / 58 / 0.00/

AXN : ALEXANDRIA MN : 85 / 54 / 0.00
GNA : GRAND MARAIS MN : 58 / 52 / 0.00
HIB : HIBBING MN : 76 / 44 / 0.00
RWF : REDWOOD FALLS MN : 89 / 57 / 0.00

Hot, Gusty & Dusty Thursday: Season's last 80s?

It looks like we'll get one last warm, windy July like day Thursday in Minnesota. Temps should push into the 80s one more time.

The combination of high temps, low humidity and gusty winds will keep fire danger high one more day.

Realtive humidity will plunge into the 20% range by afternoon.

Winds will gust to over 25 mph in western Minnesota.

The fire danger extends southward to Kansas, according to SPC.

Season's last 80 degree day Thursday?

Say it's not so Paul! I know...I'm still in "October Denial" too.

But records show the likelihood of reaching 80 in Minnesota diminishes rapidly after the first week of October.

Some stats:

October 1st - average last 80 degree temp in the metro

October 7th - last 80 degree temp in 2007 and 2006

Looking at the maps, Thursday may be the last shot we have at hitting 80 for the season. For the record, I hope I'm wrong!

Major Pattern Change Ahead: 2" to 4" rainfall in the next 2 weeks?

The medium range maps look different today. The GFS is hinting, no shouting that a major pattern change may be on the way.

The first waves of scattered showers should arrive Friday into the weekend.

The NAM is cranking out .47" of rainfall through Saturday morning in two different waves.

If we get that much rain, it will be the most rainfall much of Minnesota has received in 53 days, since MSP Airport recorded 1.42" on August 16th!

The first showers may roll through Friday morning into midday. The second batch Friday night into early Saturday. Another wave may trigger more showers into the first half of Sunday.

After a break early next week, models suggest a much cooler and wetter weather pattern sets up shop over the Upper Midwest.

There could be several bouts of rain in the week after that, with models cranking out as much as 2"+ total for the metro and potentially 2"- 4" for drought stricken northeast Minnesota.

GFS Model: 2" to 4" rainfall potential in the Upper Midwest in the next 16 days.

Stay tuned, and prepare for a pattern change in the coming weeks!

PH

More records? Fire weather terms; Dissapearing forests and climate change

Posted at 6:00 PM on October 4, 2011 by Paul Huttner (3 Comments)
Filed under: Climate change, Record

85 degree high at MSP Tuesday

64 average high for October 4th

+21 degrees vs. average

4 degrees shy of record high of 89 Tuesday

This is October? The temps map Tuesday PM looks more like July.

It appears temps will peak Wednesday between 85 and 88 degrees, with 90 not out of the question in southern Minnesota. The record high of 87 Wednesday in the metro is within reach!

Fire Weather: What does it mean?

We don't see many "Red Flag" and "Fire Weather" warnings in Minnesota, but they seem to be more common lately. Here are some terms and definitions courtesy of your local NWS.

The Disappearing Forest; A climate change accelerator?

An interesting story form the New York Times. As massive forest fires sweep across the USA from Arizona to Texas and Minnesota, are those disappearing forests increasing the probability of more rapid climate warming?

"WISE RIVER, Mont. -- The trees spanning many of the mountainsides of western Montana glow an earthy red, like a broadleaf forest at the beginning of autumn.

Without that disposal service, the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere would be rising faster. The gas traps heat from the sun, and human emissions are causing the planet to warm."

I watched over a million acres of prime pine forest burn in Arizona during my 9 years there as Chief Meteorologist at the ABC station in Tucson. Now we are seeing massive blazes in Texas and yes, Minnesota. At some point the evidence seems to support the idea that we are witnessing the effects of climate change right before our eyes, in our lifetime, right here in Minnesota.

PH

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"Humigeddon 2011" sets records; "Fresh front" brings relief

Posted at 5:15 PM on August 2, 2011 by Paul Huttner
Filed under: Record

The record hot, muggy & buggy summer of 2011 is taking a long overdue break. But not before blowing some records for summertime humidity out of the water.

Another muggy day with 70s dew points in Minnesota Tuesday. Some of the highest dew points in the nation have pooled over Minnesota this summer.

The data from Twin Cities NWS & The Minnesota Climate Working Group.

Twin Cities International Airport
Greatest Number of hours with dew point
temperature of 75 degrees F
(1945-2011)

Rank Year Hours
--------------------
1. 2011 98 (as of 3pm August 1)
2. 2001 78
3. 1999 64
4. 1987 60
5. 1995 56

1981-2010 average = 18

That's more than two full "work weeks" of dewpoints at or above 75 in the metro (and much of central & southern Minnesota) this summer. By that measure, this is the "muggiest" summer on record for Minnesota.

We also broke the all time dew point record in the metro (and possible Minnesota) this summer two weeks ago today.

Record Dew Point Temperature in the Twin Cities: July 19, 2011

"The National Weather Service Forecast Office (NWS) in Chanhassen and the DNR State Climatology Office have conferred on last week's extraordinary dew point temperatures in the Twin Cities. It was agreed that the 82 degree F dew point temperature value reported at 3:00 PM and again at 4:00 PM on Tuesday July 19, 2011 at the Twin Cities International Airport will be considered by these offices as the highest dew point temperature ever recorded in the Twin Cities. The old record in the Twin Cities was 81 degrees at 11:00 am on July 30, 1999.

Heat index values on July 19 were extraordinarily high. The 4:00 PM observation may have tied or set an all-time heat index record for the Twin Cities. The air temperature reported at that hour was 95 degrees F and was paired with the 82 degree F dew point temperature. In the next few weeks, the heat index formula used by the NWS hourly "Weather Roundup" product will be used with the historical hourly air temperature/dew point temperature data set to create a heat index climatology. Another announcement will be sent when this is completed."

Any way you slice it, this has been one of, if not the muggiest summers in Minnesota history.

Relief! Cool front sweeps away storms & "Humigeddon"
A Canadian cool front is sweeping cooler and much drier (more comfortable) air into Minnesota. Dew points are plummeting form the tropically stuffy 70s into the 50s. The air will go from feeling like July in the jungle to October in some parts of Minnesota by Wednesday morning.

The difference in air masses is remarkable, and we'll all be breathing easier as the comfortable air mass slides south by Wednesday morning.

The graphic below illustrates the change in air masses. Wind direction is indicated by the yellow arrows, and potted over surface dew points, the yellow dashed lines. The northwest winds are pumping in much drier "low dew point" air in the 50s into Minnesota late Tuesday, even as tropical dew point sin the 70s hang on in southeast Minnesota.

Tuesday morning storm damage north of the metro:

Another round of storms packed a punch this morning, and some considerable wind damage occurred. Damage reports like this one were common from the north metro to Duluth.

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
926 AM CDT TUE AUG 02 2011

MULTIPLE TREES AND BRANCHES DOWN.

Enjoy the respite from storms Wednesday, low humidity and temps in the 80s the rest of this week!

PH

Scattered Monday rain & thunder; MSP: 5th warmest July

Posted at 12:15 AM on August 1, 2011 by Paul Huttner
Filed under: Record, Remote sensing

Expect a few more scattered thunderstorms again Monday in Minnesota.

SPC places the highest risk for severe weather (slight) over central and northern Minnesota Monday, with the Twin Cities on the southern edge.

A few morning storms may stray into the metro. The latest model trends push the afternoon and evening storms north into central Minnesota. Bemidji, Grand Rapids, Alexandria, Brainerd, St. Cloud and Duluth may see the best chance for heavy storms that could produce severe weather and significant rainfall.

NAM model paints heaviest rain in central & northen Minnesota.

You can track any developing storms here:

-Latest Twin Cities radar loop

-NWS warnings for the Twin Cities

-NWS warnings for Duluth & central Minnesota

-NWS warnings for Fargo & west central Minnesota

Minnesota 2011: Hotter than...July:

If you wanted July hot & humid this year you got what you wished for...and more.

5th warmest July on record for MSP Airport

87.7 average July high temp at MSP Airport

93 high temp Sunday at MSP

10 days in July at or above 90 degrees

14 days at or above 90 so far in 2011

13 average number of 90 degree days each year at MSP

25 days in July 2011 at or above 85 degrees!

The final numbers may change slightly, but we've just endured the hottest July in 5 years, and the 5th hottest on record.

A cool front will bring some relief with temps falling back into the 80s and dew points in the 60s by late Tuesday and Wednesday.

PH

Twin Cities dew point record confirmed; "Outflow" on doppler

Posted at 5:47 PM on July 28, 2011 by Paul Huttner (3 Comments)
Filed under: Record

It's official.

We sweated through the wettest air mass ever recorded in Twin Cities history on July 19th.

The details from the Minnesota Climate Working Group.

Record Dew Point Temperature in the Twin Cities: July 19, 2011

"The National Weather Service Forecast Office (NWS) in Chanhassen and the DNR State Climatology Office have conferred on last week's extraordinary dew point temperatures in the Twin Cities. It was agreed that the 82 degree F dew point temperature value reported at 3:00 PM and again at 4:00 PM on Tuesday July 19, 2011 at the Twin Cities International Airport will be considered by these offices as the highest dew point temperature ever recorded in the Twin Cities. The old record in the Twin Cities was 81 degrees at 11:00 am on July 30, 1999.

Heat index values on July 19 were extraordinarily high. The 4:00 PM observation may have tied or set an all-time heat index record for the Twin Cities. The air temperature reported at that hour was 95 degrees F and was paired with the 82 degree F dew point temperature. In the next few weeks, the heat index formula used by the NWS hourly "Weather Roundup" product will be used with the historical hourly air temperature/dew point temperature data set to create a heat index climatology. Another announcement will be sent when this is completed."

"Outflow Boundary" visible on Twin Cities doppler:

An interesting feature showed up on Twin Cities radar today.

Arcing yellow line is an "outflow boundary" in the south metro Thursday PM.

Here's the explanation to an astute MPR listener, John who asked about the feature on radar.

"Hi John!

Outflow boundaries have to be watched for T-Storm development, as the convergence they create can spawn updrafts and generate new storms. Can't rule out an isolated T-Storm firing along this boundary tonight in the southeast metro!"

Flash flood warnings near Rochester:

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
343 PM CDT THU JUL 28 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LA CROSSE HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
NORTHERN MOWER COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA...
SOUTHERN DODGE COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA...
SOUTHWESTERN OLMSTED COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA...

* UNTIL 730 PM CDT

* AT 337 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS THE
WARNED AREA. DOPPLER RADAR ESTIMATES ONE TO TWO INCHES OF RAIN HAS
ALREADY FALLEN AND AN ADDITIONAL ONE TO TWO INCHES IS POSSIBLE
BEFORE THE STORMS DIMINISH OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS.

* RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING TO
OCCUR. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...
THE CITY OF AUSTIN...BROWNSDALE...GRAND MEADOW...HAYFIELD AND
STEWARTVILLE. SOME STREAMS THAT COULD EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE
DOBBINS CREEK...NORTH BRANCH OF THE ROOT RIVER AND THE EAST AND
WEST FORKS OF THE CEDAR RIVER.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL
CREEKS AND STREAMS...COUNTRY ROADS...AS WELL AS FARMLAND ALONG THE
BANKS OF CREEKS AND STREAMS.

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING.
IF YOU ARE IN THE WARNING AREA MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY.
RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG STREAMS AND CREEKS SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE
PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS
SWIFTLY FLOWING WATERS OR WATERS OF UNKNOWN DEPTH BY FOOT OR BY
AUTOMOBILE.

PH

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Were dew point & heat index records "agriculturally induced?"

Posted at 4:35 PM on July 20, 2011 by Paul Huttner
Filed under: Heat, Record

It's a good thing the climate gurus at the MN State Climate Office are getting back to work soon. They have a lot of work to catch up on!

A slew of new weather records will need to be verified in the coming days and weeks.

Among them will be the apparent all time highest dew point and heat index on record Minnesota.

The dew point sensor at Moorhead spiked to 88 degrees at 7pm Tuesday evening. That's the highest dew point ever recorded in Minnesota. (Previous record was/is 86 degrees)

When you combine the air temperature of 93 at that hour, the heat index calculates out to a Persian Gulf level of 130 degrees! That would also be the highest heat index ever recorded in Minnesota. (Previously 124 degrees at Moorhead in 1966)

An interesting post from the Grand Forks NWS raises questions about whether the data will stand. It turns out the Moorhead AWOS station is surrounded by soybean & sugar beet fields. It's also over a bed of clover, and had standing water from heavy rainfall under/near the sensor.

From Grand Forks NWS:

Hottest Place On Earth?

"Was Moorhead Minnesota one of the Hottest Places on Earth Tuesday afternoon?

Below is a table comparing the Fargo ASOS with the Moorhead AWOS during the hours of Noon through Midnight, Tuesday July 19 2011. During the period when the Moorhead AWOS was reporting an 88 degree dew-point, the Fargo ASOS was 5 to 9 degrees lower."

NWS comparison of readings in Fargo and Moorhead Tuesday. (Click to enlarge!)

Huttner's take on the data: (For what it's worth!)

My take on the facts and data here puts me in the camp that would uphold Tuesday's records.

Here's why:

-If row crops are in fact contributing to higher dew points as has been documented in the past, then most or all observing stations in Minnesota had higher "agriculturally modified" dew points Tuesday. (And on most summer days)

If a farmer had standing rainwater in his fields Tuesday it would have felt the same way at that location...even if there was no weather sensor there to detect the readings. Simply put, those were the actual "air mass" properties at that location.

Here's an email on the subject of crop aided dew point readings from Pete Boulay at MN State Climate Office sent last August:

"Hello all,

State Climatology Office
DNR - Division of Ecological and Water Resources"

Count me as one who believes the records should stand from Tuesday!

"Manhole Geyser" in Montreal:

Check out this incredible video after flooding rains in Montreal!

Second Phoenix Dust Storm this month:

Check out the second major dust storm in Phoenix this month!

I have witnessed and broadcast many "dust storm warnings" during 9 years in Arizona. These giant walls of dust are caused by the gust fronts from thunderstorms. The soil between Phoenix and Tucson is so loose and fine that dust is easily picked up and whisked airborne.

Most of these "Haboobs" flow from southeast to northwest into the Phoneix area on the prevailling "monsoon thunderstorm" winds.

And this...

PH

Excessive rains possible, preview was Saturday evening

Posted at 6:37 AM on June 20, 2011 by Craig Edwards
Filed under: Radar, Rainfall, Record

Watching the radar from the Target Field weather lab on Saturday evening it was clear the heavy rain was setting up over western Wisconsin. Here's a graphic provided by the Chanhassen National Weather Service of the radar estimated rainfall for the event.

Click on image to enlarge. The small purple pixel represents an estimate of around six inches for the period 7am CDT Saturday to 7am CDT on Sunday

Eau Claire Airport reported 4.74 inches of rain on Saturday evening. LaCrosse measured 4.50 inches. Both of these totals were daily records.

A meteorological summary of the deluge has been posted on the NWS Chanhassen website. See details.

Thankfully we were able to salvage a pretty decent Sunday. This upcoming week, particularly the next three days will be soggy at the least and perhaps downright dangerously wet in some locations.

A very slow moving, spring-like weather system will track through the upper Midwest. The snail pace from west to east will place Minnesota, as well as the eastern Dakotas and western Wisconsin in a prime region for heavy rainfall.

Here's NOAA's Environmental Prediction Center's estimate for rainfall accumulations in the next seventy-two hours.

This graphic gives a general sense of the most likely region for heavy rain. Isolated totals similar to Saturday evening's rain in western Wisconsin are very possible.

Have time to probe beneath the headlines? Here's a great link on the meteorologist's insight on the upcoming heavy rainfall, courtesy of the National Weather Service in Chanhassen.

After enduring this drenching, we can look forward to the prospects of some warmer and drier weather next week. Here's the Climate Prediction Center's temperature outlook for the next eight to fourteen days. Odds favor above normal temperatures.

The Climate Prediction Center's precipitation outlook for the period June 27 to July 3rd, indicates the odds favor less than normal precipitation in our neck of the woods.

By the way the radar is already lit-up in Iowa and far southern Minnesota this morning. The deluge is at hand.
CE

36 Tornadoes: Top tornado outbreak in Minnesota history?

Posted at 7:37 AM on June 18, 2010 by Paul Huttner (7 Comments)
Filed under: Record, Severe weather

We may have just witnessed the biggest tornado outbreak in Minnesota history.

As of late Thursday night, NOAA's Storm Prediction Center lists 36 tornado reports in the state of Minnesota Thursday. Some of these may be multiple reports of the same tornado from different observers.

Preliminary SPC severe weather reports for Thursday.

NWS offices around the region will dispatch survey teams to confirm final numbers, but it is possible that Thursday's final number of tornadoes may break or rival the record for most tornado touchdowns ever on record for a single day in Minnesota.

Red triangles indicate NWS tornado reports Thursday. Blue is hail, orange is wind damage, green is flash flood.

The standing record until Thursday was 27 tornadoes in one day on June 16th, 1992.

Here are the top 10 single day tornado outbreaks in Minnesota history. (NWS data)

1. June 16, 1992: 27 tornadoes
2. July 1, 1997: 18 tornadoes
3. June 11, 2001: 16 tornadoes
3. June 13, 2001: 16 tornadoes
5. June 28, 1979: 15 tornadoes
5. June 24, 2003: 15 tornadoes
7. July 21, 1995: 14 tornadoes
7. October 26, 1996: 14 tornadoes
7. March 29, 1998: 14 tornadoes
7. July 25, 2000: 14 tornadoes

There were 20 reports of tornadoes in North Dakota Thursday.

It appears we made (dubious?) weather history in Minnesota on Thursday.

PH

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Heat warning expires for Twin Cities

Posted at 9:10 PM on May 24, 2010 by Paul Huttner (3 Comments)
Filed under: Heat, Record

Update 9pm:

The excessive heat warning expired at 9pm. Several record highs were set today including 95 in the metro (previous record was 88 set in 1875) and 92 in Eau Claire.

More on record highs later.

Storms will continue to rumble in the Dakotas and far northwest Minnesota overnight. There have been some reports of severe weather and flooding.

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
836 PM CDT MON MAY 24 2010

..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..

0830 PM FLASH FLOOD THIEF RIVER FALLS 48.11N 96.18W
05/24/2010 PENNINGTON MN PUBLIC

FIELDS UNDER WATER IN AND AROUND THE GREATER THIEF RIVER
FALLS AREA.

A few storms could approach western Minnesota overnight.

PH

Here's one you don't see in May too often.

The Twin Cities NWS has issued an excessive heat warning today for the Twin Cities metro area. The warning includes Hennepin and Ramsey counties, basically the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro.

A combination of record heat and high humidity will produce heat indexes of between 95 and 100 degrees this afternoon in the metro. The heat index is what it feels like on your body when you factor temperature and humidity and the body's ability to cool through evaporation.

Based on the 10-year average from 1994 to 2003, excessive heat claimed 237 lives each year. By contrast, floods killed 84; tornadoes, 58; lightning, 63; and hurricanes, 18.

Record breaker:

Today's likely high in the 90s will smash the previous record of 88 degrees at Twin Cities Airport set in 1875. One forecast technique yields temperatures as hot as 95 to 96 degrees for the metro and parts of southern Minnesota. Don't be surprised to see a few bank thermometers blinking 96 today. Numerous high temperature records will likely be set this afternoon in Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Midwest.

Thunder threat:

The atmosphere is extremely unstable today with all the warm air near the surface. There is also a "cap" or warm layer aloft in southern Minnesota that may inhibit T-Storms, but thunder is likely in the northern half of Minnesota and in the Dakotas today closer to cool air aloft. There is a risk for any storms that get going to morph into severe storms with heavy flooding downpours, large hail and damaging winds.

How do you spell relief?

A good friend of mine, Richard Calvelli passed away recently in Oro Valley, Arizona. Richard was an ad executive with Saatchi & Saatchi in New York and L.A. for over 25 years. Think Mad Men. Richard is credited with writing such classic ad phrases as "I love what you do for me, Toyota" and "How do you spell relief? R-O-L-A-I-D-S." Richard was one of those rare talents, and such a kind and caring person. Our families remain very close, and his son is the same age as our son, both high school freshmen.

We'll spell relief this week in the form of a cold front which will push a cooler drier Canadian air mass into Minnesota Wednesday. The front will drop temperatures from the sweltering 90s into the low 80s by week's end. Dew points will fall from near 70 to the comfortable upper 40s by Friday.

Thank you members!

It was a joy to meet so many of you at our MPR member event Sunday! A whopping 1,800 of you wonderful, curious, intelligent MPR member supporters showed up at 7th & Cedar for the event Sunday. My voice is a little hoarse from talking to so many of you, but I am blown away by your support for what we do at MPR and your thoughtful insightful questions. Thanks for your support!

Stay cool today and Tuesday. And keep a weather eye on the sky.

PH

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Epic Nashville floods

Posted at 5:10 PM on May 3, 2010 by Paul Huttner
Filed under: Flooding, Record, Severe weather

NEXRAD storm total rainfall shows 15"+ record rainfall in the Nashville area over the weekend.

If they had an arc in Nashville it would be overflowing.

A record 2 day deluge has already broken the monthly record for the wettest May ever in Nashville. Saturday brought 6.32" of rain to Nashville. That's the 3rd wettest day in Nashville history. Then came Sunday. An incredible 7.25" rained down on the city. That smashed the record for the wettest day in Nashville history.

Two day rainfall totals are incredibly over 17" in some areas! Think about that for a moment. The wettest MONTH n Minnesota is Jun with an average of just over 4" of rain for the entire month. Areas around Nashville got 17" in TWO DAYS.

The pictures are amazing. Cars stacked up like toys. Entire buildings floating down new rivers like arcs. At least 19 people are dead, and local officials have declared a civil emergency for fear the even though the rain has stopped, the still raging floodwaters will claim more lives.

PH

Mild spring weather setting records

Posted at 5:20 PM on April 13, 2010 by Paul Huttner (1 Comments)
Filed under: Record, Springtime

Welcome to the earliest spring in Minnesota history.

That's the way it slices if you look at some of the data this spring. As Rod Serling would say in The Twilight Zone; "submitted for your approval."

*The earliest recorded ice out in history for several northern Minnesota lakes

New ice out records for lakes with more than 40 years of record.

Lake-County-New Record-Previous Record-Years of Data
---------------------------------------------------
Bemidji Beltrami 4-6-2010 4-11-1975,00 73
Fall St. Louis 4-2-2010 4-10-1945 60
Itasca Clearwater 4-3-2010 4-9-1981 69
Leech Cass 4-6-2010 4-9-1945 75
Shagawa St. Louis 4-3-2010 4-14-1998 45
Vermilion St. Louis 4-6-2010 4-10-1945 91
Rainy Koochiching 4-10-2010 4-13-1998 80

*The Twin Cities had a snowless March for the first time in the modern record (1891-2010) and only the 3rd time in recorded history.

*The Twin Cities recorded the 4th warmest March on record with an average temperature of 41.0 degrees.

*Duluth is enjoying the warmest start to April ever on record. The monthly average temperature so far is 44.7 degrees. That's 10 degrees above average. Duluth has enjoyed 8 days this month with a daily high temperature at or above 60 degrees. The average high for Duluth today is just 47 degrees.

*The Twin Cities is running 10.5 degrees above average so far in April.

When you add up the consistently mild temperatures, early ice out and record lack of "spring" snowfall you have what may be the earliest and warmest Minnesota spring on record by many measures.

We're half way through meteorological spring (March-May) this week. The weather maps are hinting at above average temperatures for the next 10 days.

It will be interesting to see where this spring ranks as we head toward (an early?) summer in June.

PH

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Record northern Minnesota ice-out visible from space

Posted at 5:37 PM on April 5, 2010 by Paul Huttner
Filed under: Record

MPR's northeast Minnesota specialist Bob Kelleher reports record early ice out on many northeast Minnesota lakes today.

Check out the amazingly detailed satellite image showing ice free lakes in northeast Minnesota. In the image, you can see ice-free (black) water in Mille Lacs, Red and in the BWCAW. Note the ice still present on Lake of the Woods.

University of Wisconsin MODIS high resolution satellite image clearly shows ice free lakes in northern Minnesota Monday. (click for bigger image)

PH

March 2010: Once in a lifetime

Posted at 3:00 PM on March 26, 2010 by Paul Huttner (3 Comments)
Filed under: Record, Snow

It looks like March is ready to challenge some long held records in Minnesota.

Temperature:

So far the average monthly temperature for the Twin Cities is running about 39 degrees. With temperatures early next week expected to run 10 to 15+ degrees above average, that number will move up by month's end Wednesday. That should put this March in the top 5 warmest for March temperatures on record. Here are the top 10 warmest average monthly temperatures on record for the month of March for the Twin Cities.

10 WARMEST

45.0...1910
42.4...1946
41.1...2000
40.2...1973
39.8...1945
39.0...1918
38.8...1968
38.7...1987
38.0...1938
37.7...1981

Snowfall:

It also appears likely we will get through the month of March without any measureable snowfall for most Minnesota locations. This has not occurred in the Twin Cities since pioneer records were kept back in 1878 and 1860. A snowless March has never been recorded in modern records for the Twin Cities (1891-2010). It appears we may have the first March without measureable snowfall in 132 years! That is truly a once in a lifetime event.

10 LEAST SNOW

0.1...1981
0.3...1925
0.4...1895/1931/1973
0.7...1945
0.8...1968
0.9...1910
1.0...1905/1921/2000
1.4...1922
1.5...1902/1919/1946/2009
1.8...1930

March is on average the second snowiest month in Minnesota with an average snowfall of about 10" in the metro.

Other area cities have also been largely snow free this month.

City/Total snowfall though March 26
-------------------------------------
Internat. Falls .2
St. Cloud 0
Duluth T
Rochester 0
Fargo T
Grand Forks T
La Crosse 0
Sioux Falls .5

After a few showers Saturday and a slim chance of a few snowflakes, it appears temperatures are ready to soar again to close the month of March. We may even push 70 degrees by Wednesday March 31st to send the month off on a high note.

Forecast modles show temps pushing 70 by late week.
(click on image for a bigger picture)

NOAA CPC 6-10 day outlook highlights above average temps.

Enjoy!

PH

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64 Degrees: Record high Sunday

Posted at 8:07 PM on March 14, 2010 by Paul Huttner
Filed under: Record

That felt awesome.

Admit it. You lingered outside today. You strolled through puddles and tiny rivers of snowmelt and smiled at the sound of liquid water running into street drains. Your feet got wet and your shoes got muddy, and you didn't even care.

Low clouds and fog finally gave way to strong March sunshine today. The combination of potent mid-March sun intensity and rapidly disappearing snow cover caused temperatures to surge into the 60s Sunday afternoon.

Temperatures surged into the 60s in eastern Minnesota and Wisconsin Sunday. Clouds held temperatures in check in western Minnesota and the Dakoats.

The mercury hit 64 at Twin Cities Airport at 4:25pm Sunday setting a new record high for the day. The previous record was 62 degrees, last set in 1990.

CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHANHASSEN MN
735 PM CDT SUN MAR 14 2010
...................................
...THE TWIN CITIES MN CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR MARCH 14 2010...
VALID TODAY AS OF 0700 PM LOCAL TIME.

WEATHER ITEM OBSERVED TIME RECORD YEAR NORMAL DEPARTURE LAST
VALUE (LST) VALUE VALUE FROM YEAR
NORMAL
..................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
TODAY
MAXIMUM 64R 425 PM 62 1990 39 25 50
1973
1878
MINIMUM 40 745 AM -10 1897 23 17 26
AVERAGE 52 31 21 38

Sunday's temperature of 64 was the warmest day this year, It was also the warmest day in over 4 months, The last time the temperature hit 64 in the Twin Cities was on November 8th of last year.

It looks like temperatures will remain well above average for most of this week before a cold front moves south. And yes, it's still March and that means there's still a chance of getting swatted by snow. It could happen next weekend.

Stay tuned...and enjoy the mild air for now.

PH