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to the Climate JournalMore on the Balmy Start to Minnesota's Winter
Warm Fall for Minnesota
This fall has seen record warm temperatures and generally dry conditions. The statewide average temperature was 2.6 degrees above normal in October, and 3.6 degrees above normal in November. In the first week of December, Minnesota was about 19.3 Degrees above normal. The warm autumn is a continuation of warm temperatures experienced throughout much of 1998. An interesting artifact of this warmth is the number of days without below zero temperatures in many southern Minnesota communities. As of December 11, the Twin Cities have gone 325 consecutive days without a below zero temperature. This ranks as the 6th longest such stretch in the period covering 1891 - 1998.
Longest intervals without below zero temperatures (1891-1998) ------------------------------------------------------------- 1.) 2/13/54 to 1/15/55 337 2.) 1/25/87 to 12/25/87 335 3.) 1/21/98 to 12/20/98 334 4.) 1/31/15 to 12/26/15 330 5.) 1/25/92 to 12/20/92 330 6.) 1/15/31 to 12/6/31 326 7.) 2/11/11 to 12/26/11 319 8.) 1/28/24 to 12/10/24 317 9.) 2/22/18 to 12/31/19 313 10.) 2/22/07 to 12/27/07 309
"Ice in" at lakes around Minnesota
An effect of the warm fall that Minnesota is experiencing is a delay to the annual freeze-up of lakes over the state. While historical records of "ice in" dates are sketchy a few lakes had some good runs of data. The most consistent reports are from Detroit Lake (1910-1979), Waconia (1940-1978), and Green (1952-1991). A handful of other lakes have generally 20 years of data or less. The latest ice in dates are ... Detroit (12/13/39), Waconia (12/12/44 and 53), and Green (12/16/59).
Lack of snowfall in the Twin Cities
While the fall of 1998 has been warm and dry so far in the Twin Cities, there is still a little way to go to reach the all-time longest periods free of an one inch snowfall and an one inch snow cover. The computer database from the Midwest Climate Center was used for 1948-1997, and Weather Service observations from 1891-1947. In more recent years, the National Weather Service rounds the snow depth to the nearest inch, and the database from the Midwest Climate Center does this as well. Please note that Observation time has changed over the years and this would have an effect on the daily snow depth. For instance, even though 8.2 snow fell during the Halloween Superstorm on October 31, 1991 the daily snow depth was measured at 6:30 am on Nov. 1, 1991.
Latest 1 inch snowfall (season) (From 1891-1997)
------------------------------
1.) Jan 9, 1945 (44-45)
2.) Jan 6, 1981 (80-81)
3.) Jan 1, 1914 (13-14)
4.) Dec 30, 1918 (18-19)
5.) Dec 26, 1904 (04-05)
6.) Dec 21, 1920 (20-21)
7.) Dec 20, 1998 (98-99)
8.) Dec 19, 1939 (39-40)
9.) Dec 16, 1908 (08-09)
10.) Dec 14, 1922 (22-23)
Latest 1 inch snow depth (season)* (From 1896-1997)
---------------------------------
1.) Jan 1, 1914 (13-14)
2.) Dec 27, 1918 (18-19)
3.) Dec 26, 1904 (04-05)
4.) Dec 24, 1960 (60-61)
5.) Dec 21, 1920 (20-21)
6.) Dec 20, 1914 (14-16)
6.) Dec 21, 1998 (98-99)
8.) Dec 19, 1939 (39-40)
9.) Dec 16, 1908 (08-09)
10.) Dec 15, 1942 (42-43)
SNOWFALL DATA FOR MSP...FIRST INCH
------------------------------------------------------------
Date of first Amount of Date of Amount Time
1 inch snow Snow first 1 of snow of
inch depth depth observation
------------------------------------------------------------
Nov 11, 1891 1.5
Nov 07, 1892 1.5
Nov 21, 1893 2.7
Dec 11, 1894 2
Nov 25, 1895 1.5
Nov 04, 1896 2.5
Nov 26, 1897 1.7
Nov 21, 1898 4
Nov 12, 1899 1
Nov 16, 1900 2
Nov 03, 1901 2.2
Nov 14, 1902 1
Nov 12, 1903 1 Nov 22, 1903 1.0 8:00 pm
Dec 26, 1904 1 Dec 26, 1904 1.0 8:00 pm
Oct 25, 1905 5.5 Oct 25, 1905 5.5 7:00 pm
Dec 06, 1906 2.5 Dec 16, 1906 1.8 7:00 pm
Dec 13, 1907 1.2 Dec 13, 1907 1.2 7:00 pm
Dec 16, 1908 2 Dec 16, 1908 1.4 7:00 pm
Nov 16, 1909 10.5 Nov 16, 1909 10.5 7:00 pm
Nov 04, 1910 1 Nov 14, 1910 1.2 7:00 pm
Nov 14, 1911 1.2 Nov 14, 1911 1.3 7:00 pm
Dec 05, 1912 3 Dec 05, 1912 2.5 7:00 pm
Jan 01, 1914 4 Jan 01, 1914 4 7:00 pm
Dec 07, 1914 1.1 Dec 20, 1914 1.4 7:00 pm
Nov 13, 1915 1.7 Nov 13, 1915 1.7 7:00 pm
Oct 19, 1916 1.3 Oct 19, 1916 1 7:00 pm
Dec 04, 1917 2.5 Dec 04, 1917 2.2 7:00 pm
Dec 30, 1918 1.4 Dec 27, 1918 1.3 7:00 pm
Oct 27, 1919 2.6 Oct 27, 1919 2.6 7:00 pm
Dec 21, 1920 5.3 Dec 21, 1920 5.3 7:00 pm
Nov 07, 1921 2.5 Nov 07, 1921 2.5 7:00 pm
Dec 14, 1922 1.5 Dec 14, 1922 1.5 7:00 pm
Nov 27, 1923 1 Nov 22, 1923 1 7:00 pm
Nov 07, 1924 3 Nov 07, 1924 2.5 7:00 pm
Oct 18, 1925 1 Nov 30, 1925 3.3 7:00 pm
Nov 18, 1926 1.4 Nov 18, 1926 1.9 7:00 pm
Nov 14, 1927 1 Nov 14, 1927 1 7:00 pm
Dec 03, 1928 1.4 Dec 03, 1928 1.3 7:00 pm
Oct 29, 1929 1.9 Nov 24, 1929 1.3 7:00 pm
Nov 25, 1930 3.2 Nov 25, 1930 3.5 7:00 pm
Dec 05, 1931 1.2 Dec 05, 1931 1.2 7:00 pm
Oct 31, 1932 1.4 Dec 04, 1932 1 7:00 pm
Nov 05, 1933 2.2 Nov 05, 1933 1.8 7:00 pm
Nov 30, 1934 8 Nov 30, 1934 8 7:00 pm
Dec 12, 1935 1 Nov 28, 1935 1.4 7:00 pm
Nov 26, 1936 1.5 Nov 26, 1936 1.3 7:00 pm
Nov 18, 1937 1.2 Nov 18, 1937 1 6:30 pm
Oct 23, 1938 1.4 Oct 23, 1938 1 6:30 pm
Dec 19, 1939 4.6 Dec 19, 1939 3.5 6:30 pm
Nov 11, 1940 8.2 Nov 11, 1940 8.2 6:30 pm
Nov 01, 1941 3.6 Nov 01, 1941 1.5 6:30 pm
Sep 26, 1942 1.7 Dec 15, 1942 1.5 6:30 pm
Nov 07, 1943 1.1 Nov 08, 1943 6 6:30 pm
Jan 09, 1945 2.0 Nov 29, 1944 1.2 6:30 pm
Nov 08, 1945 1.2 Nov 08, 1945 1.2 6:30 pm
Nov 10, 1946 2.1 Nov 24, 1946 1.5 6:30 pm
Nov 07, 1947 4.2 Nov 07, 1947 3.5 6:30 pm
Nov 20, 1948 1.2 Nov 20, 1948 1 6:30 pm
Nov 16, 1949 1 Nov 24, 1949 1 6:30 pm
Nov 16, 1950 1.1 Nov 22, 1950 1 6:30 am
Nov 03, 1951 4.2 Nov 03, 1951 4 6:30 am
Nov 25, 1952 5.3 Nov 25, 1952 2 6:30 am
Nov 21, 1953 1.5 Nov 22, 1953 1 6:30 am
Nov 26, 1954 2.4 Nov 02, 1954 1 6:30 am
Oct 29, 1955 2.2 Oct 30, 1955 1 6:30 am
Nov 15, 1956 5.1 Nov 16, 1956 5 6:30 am
Nov 18, 1957 7.6 Nov 09, 1957 1 6:30 am
Nov 23, 1958 2.6 Nov 24, 1958 2 6:30 am
Oct 12, 1959 2 Oct 13, 1959 1 6:30 am
Nov 17, 1960 1.6 Dec 24, 1960 1 6:30 am
Nov 22, 1961 1.5 Nov 22, 1961 1 6:30 am
Nov 23, 1962 5.6 Nov 23, 1962 1 6:30 am
Dec 02, 1963 1.4 Dec 03, 1963 1 6:30 am
Nov 27, 1964 3 Nov 26, 1964 1 6:30 am
Nov 26, 1965 1.3 Nov 27, 1965 1 6:30 am
Nov 11, 1966 2.2 Nov 10, 1966 1 6:30 am
Dec 09, 1967 1.3 Dec 10, 1967 1 6:30 am
Nov 16, 1968 1.4 Nov 17, 1968 1 6:30 am
Oct 12, 1969 2 Oct 13, 1969 1 6:30 am
Nov 26, 1970 5 Nov 26, 1970 1 6:30 am
Nov 23, 1971 2.8 Nov 23, 1971 3 6:30 am
Dec 01, 1972 1.5 Dec 01, 1972 1 6:30 am
Dec 04, 1973 3.2 Dec 04, 1973 3 6:30 am
Nov 26, 1974 1 Nov 27, 1974 1 6:30 am
Nov 09, 1975 2 Nov 21, 1975 7 6:30 am
Oct 18, 1976 1.3 Dec 03, 1976 2 6:30 am
Oct 10, 1977 2.5 Nov 10, 1977 1 6:30 am
Nov 12, 1978 1.6 Nov 12, 1978 1 6:30 am
Nov 09, 1979 1.3 Nov 09, 1979 1 6:30 am
Jan 06, 1981 1 Dec 08, 1980 1 6:30 am
Nov 18, 1981 4.2 Nov 19, 1981 8 6:30 am
Nov 12, 1982 1.2 Nov 14, 1982 1 6:30 am
Nov 09, 1983 4.5 Nov 24, 1983 10 6:30 am
Nov 27, 1984 2 Nov 28, 1984 1 6:30 am
Nov 09, 1985 1.1 Nov 09, 1985 1 6:30 am
Nov 18, 1986 1.6 Nov 11, 1986 1 6:30 am
Nov 17, 1987 1.6 Nov 18, 1987 1 6:30 am
Nov 05, 1988 2.9 Nov 06, 1988 3 6:30 am
Nov 03, 1989 1 Nov 04, 1989 1 6:30 am
Nov 03, 1990 2.9 Nov 04, 1990 1 6:30 am
Oct 31, 1991 8.2 Nov 01, 1991 14 6:30 am
Nov 01, 1992 2.5 Nov 02, 1992 4 6:30 am
Nov 05, 1993 1.5 Nov 05, 1993 1 6:30 am
Nov 27, 1994 4.8 Nov 28, 1994 5 6:30 am
Nov 01, 1995 1.6 Nov 01, 1995 1 6:30 am
Nov 15, 1996 1.7 Nov 15, 1996 1 6:30 am
Nov 02, 1997 1 Nov 13, 1997 1 6:30 am
--------------------------------------------------------
Latest 1 inch snowfall (season) (From 1891-1997)
------------------------------
1.) Jan 9, 1945 (44-45)
2.) Jan 6, 1981 (80-81)
3.) Jan 1, 1913 (12-13)
4.) Dec 30, 1918 (18-19)
5.) Dec 26, 1904 (04-05)
6.) Dec 21, 1920 (20-21)
7.) Dec 19, 1939 (39-40)
8.) Dec 16, 1908 (08-09)
9.) Dec 14, 1922 (22-23)
10.) Dec 13, 1907 (07-08)
Earliest 1 inch snowfall (season) (From 1891-1997)
--------------------------------
1.) Sep 26, 1942 (42-43)
2.) Oct 10, 1977 (77-78)
3.) Oct 12, 1959 (59-60)
4.) Oct 12, 1969 (69-70)
5.) Oct 18, 1925 (25-26)
6.) Oct 18, 1976 (76-77)
7.) Oct 19, 1916 (16-17)
8.) Oct 23, 1938 (38-39)
9.) Oct 25, 1905 (05-06)
10.) Oct 27, 1919 (19-20)
Latest 1 inch snow depth (season)* (From 1903-1997)
---------------------------------
1.) Jan 1, 1913 (12-13)
2.) Dec 27, 1918 (18-19)
3.) Dec 26, 1904 (04-05)
4.) Dec 24, 1960 (60-61)
5.) Dec 21, 1920 (20-21)
6.) Dec 20, 1914 (14-16)
7.) Dec 19, 1939 (39-40)
8.) Dec 16, 1906 (06-07)
9.) Dec 16, 1908 (08-09)
10.) Dec 15, 1942 (42-43)
Earliest 1 inch snow depth (season)* (From 1903-1997)
-----------------------------------
1.) Oct 13, 1959 (59-60)
2.) Oct 13, 1969 (69-70)
3.) Oct 19, 1916 (16-17)
4.) Oct 23, 1938 (38-39)
5.) Oct 25, 1905 (05-06)
6.) Oct 27, 1919 (19-20)
7.) Oct 30, 1955 (55-56)
8.) Nov 1, 1941 (41-42)
9.) Nov 1, 1991 (91-92)
10.) Nov 1. 1995 (95-96)
*observation time varies over the years from 8pm to 6:30 pm through 1949,
to 6:30 am for years after 1949.
mcwg@soils.umn.edu
URL:
http://climate.umn.edu/doc/journal/balmystart2.htm
Last modified: December 11, 1998