Early Winter Signature - October 3, 1999

A new Minnesota weather record occurred over the weekend. Sunday morning, October 3rd, Embarrass reported a low of 9 degrees F (perpetual rival Tower, MN reported 14 degrees F). This is the earliest ever in the fall for a single digit low temperature in the state of Minnesota, beating the old record held by Roseau, MN on October 10, 1932 when it dropped to 8 degrees F.

Mark Seeley
Professor and Extension Climatologist
Department of Soil, Water, and Climate
University of Minnesota
St Paul, MN

Some other signs of Winter from National Weather Service Public Information Statements:

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
940 AM CDT SAT OCT 2 1999

...SIGNIFICANT EARLY SEASON SNOWFALL IN THE TRI STATE AREA...

A WIDESPREAD AREA OF 2 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOWFALL OCCURRED YESTERDAY
FROM EAST CENTRAL AND A PART OF SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA...THROUGHOUT
SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA...TO A PART OF NORTHWEST IOWA. IN SIOUX FALLS...
THE 2.7 INCHES OF SNOWFALL WAS THE HEAVIEST EVER RECORDED SO EARLY
IN THE SEASON. OTHER PREVIOUS RECORD EARLY SNOWFALLS FOR SIOUX FALLS
WERE 0.9 INCH ON SEPTEMBER 28TH 1985...AND 5.0 INCHES ON OCTOBER
8TH/9TH IN 1970.

HERE IS A SUMMARY OF SNOWFALLS IN THE AREA FROM YESTERDAY. KEEP IN
MIND THE SNOW DEPTH MOST OFTEN ENDS UP LESS THAN THE ACTUAL SNOWFALL
DUE TO MELTING...

INCHES LOCATION

5.4 LAKEFIELD MN
5.0 BROOKINGS SD
5.0 LAKE WILSON MN
4.6 HURON SD
4.5 MARSHALL MN
3.4 COLTON SD
3.0 WORTHINGTON MN
3.0 SIBLEY IA
3.0 FLANDREAU SD
3.0 ARLINGTON SD
2.7 SIOUX FALLS SD
2.0 SPIRIT LAKE IA
1.2 SPENCER IA
0.5 NEWCASTLE NE
.....

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1120 AM CDT SAT OCT 2 1999

...AN EARLY SNOW...

HERE ARE THE KNOWN SNOWFALL AMOUNTS FROM FRIDAY OCTOBER 1...
MONTGOMERY....4 INCHES
SPRINGFIELD...3.75 INCHES
VESTA.........3 INCHES
MANKATO.......2.75 INCHES
.....

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
12 PM CDT SAT OCT 2 1999

...SNOW ACROSS THE INTERNATIONAL BORDER...

OBSERVERS ACROSS THE INTERNATIONAL BORDER REPORTED SNOWFALL THIS
MORNING. INTERNATIONAL FALLS AND KABETOGAMA REPORTED A TRACE OF SNOW
ON THE GROUND WITH A HALF AN INCH AT CRANE LAKE AND 4 INCHES ON THE
GROUND AT ASH RIVER. THE OBSERVER AT CRANE LAKE SAID THE SNOW
STARTED AROUND MIDNIGHT BEFORE ENDING AT 7AM.

VERY COLD AIR OVER THE WARMER LAKE WATER ENHANCED THE RATE OF
SNOWFALL. THE SNOW SHOWERS HELD TOGETHER ALL THE WAY TO ELY WHERE A
TRACE OF SNOW FELL.

Return to the Climate Journal

mcwg@soils.umn.edu
URL: http://climate.umn.edu/doc/journal/earlywinter.htm
Last modified: October 4, 1999