More on Cool Summer 2004
August 2004 continued the cold summer pattern for Minnesota. The summer of 2004 from June through August will rank right up there with some of the coldest summers on record for places in Minnesota. The Twin Cities finished with the 6th coldest August on record and the 14th coldest summer on record. The following are statements issued by the National Weather Service offices in Chanhassen, Duluth, Sioux Falls and Grand Forks about the cool summer.
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
430 PM CDT WED SEP 01 2004
...AN ALL TIME RECORD COOL AUGUST COMES TO PASS ACROSS PORTIONS
OF MINNESOTA...
...METEOROLOGICAL SUMMER WILL BE ONE OF THE COOLEST ON RECORD...
AUGUST 2004 HAS GONE DOWN AS THE COOLEST ON RECORD FOR ALEXANDRIA...ST.CLOUD...
AND EAU CLAIRE. MINNEAPOLIS HAS FINISHED
THE MONTH TIED FOR THE 6TH COOLEST MONTH ON RECORD. RECORDS FOR
MINNEAPOLIS HAVE BEEN KEPT FOR 113 YEARS.
WHILE IT WON'T BE THE COOLEST METEOROLOGICAL SUMMER EVER...IT CERTAINLY
WILL BE REMEMBERED AS ONE OF THE COOLER THE TWO STATES HAVE EVER SEEN. BOTH
EAU CLAIRE AND ST.CLOUD WILL FINISH THE SUMMER IN THE TOP 5 OF RECORDS AVAILABLE.
MINNEAPOLIS WILL NOT BREAK THE TOP 10...QUITE DIFFERENT FROM ITS SURROUNDING
CITIES. THIS IS LIKELY DUE TO THE INCREASED URBAN HEAT ISLAND OVER THE PAST
10 TO 20 YEARS...WITH MANY OF THE RECORDS COMING WELL BEFORE MINNEAPOLIS WAS
THE URBAN BEHEMOTH THAT IT IS TODAY. SINCE URBAN SPRAWL HAS BECOME COMMONPLACE
...COLD TEMPERATURE RECORDS SPANNING SEVERAL MONTHS...SUCH AS "COLD SUMMER"
RECORDS...HAVE BEEN HARD TO COME BY. THIS IS MAINLY DUE TO THE URBAN AREAS
HOLDING HEAT AT NIGHT...KEEPING NIGHTTIME MINIMUMS HIGHER THAN THE OUTLYING
CITIES. ONLY 3 OUT OF THE TOP 10 COOL SUMMERS IN MINNEAPOLIS CAME AFTER
1950...AND ONLY ONE AFTER 1970 (WHICH WAS 1992) WHEN URBAN SPRAWL REALLY
TOOK OFF. LISTED BELOW ARE THE TOP 5 COOLEST AUGUSTS ON RECORD FOR
ALEXANDRIA...ST.CLOUD...MINNEAPOLIS...AND EAU CLAIRE.
ALSO LISTED ARE THE ALL TIME COOLEST METEOROLOGICAL SUMMERS FOR THESE SAME
SITES. (JUNE 1ST THROUGH AUGUST 31TH)...EXCEPT FOR ALEXANDRIA...WHICH IS UNAVAILABLE.
COOLEST AUGUSTS ON RECORD*****COOLEST METEOROLOGICAL SUMMER
-----------------------------------------------------------------
ALEXANDRIA (1940-2004) ALEXANDRIA (1940-2004)
---------------------- ----------------------
1. 61.7 (2004)*** NOT AVAILABLE
2. 64.2 (1985)
3. 64.3 (1977)
4. 64.6 (1951)
5. 64.7 (1992)
***RECORDS AND NOTES ABOUT AUGUST 2004 IN ALEXANDRIA (1940-2004)***
RECORD LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE ON 8/10...54 DEGREES
RECORD LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE ON 8/11...62 DEGREES
RECORD LOW MINIMUM TEMPERATURE ON 8/10...45 DEGREES
RECORD LOW MINIMUM TEMPERATURE ON 8/11...45 DEGREES
RECORD LOW MINIMUM TEMPERATURE ON 8/12...43 DEGREES
RECORD LOW MINIMUM TEMPERATURE ON 8/19...39 DEGREES
ALL TIME COLDEST AUGUST DAY (AVG TEMP) ON 8/10...50 DEGREES
3RD ALL TIME COLDEST AUGUST DAY (AVG TEMP) ON 8/20...51 DEGREES
FEWEST NUMBER OF DAYS EXCEEDING 80 DEGREES IN AUGUST....3 DAYS
ST. CLOUD (1904-2004) ST. CLOUD (1904-2004)
--------------------- ---------------------
1. 62.3 (2004)*** 1. 62.7 (1992)
2. 63.2 (1992) 2. 64.4 (1945)
3. 63.3 (1977) 2. 64.4 (2004)***
4. 63.4 (1974) 3. 64.5 (1985)
5. 63.7 (1985) 4. 64.6 (1958)
5. 65.2 (1951)
***RECORDS AND NOTES ABOUT AUGUST 2004 IN ST.CLOUD (1904-2004)***
RECORD LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE ON 8/10...57 DEGREES
RECORD LOW MINIMUM TEMPERATURE ON 8/19...37 DEGREES
RECORD LOW MINIMUM TEMPERATURE ON 8/21...33 DEGREES
ALL TIME AUGUST MINIMUM..................33 DEGREES (TIED)
MINNEAPOLIS (1891-2004) MINNEAPOLIS (1891-2004)
----------------------- -----------------------
1. 65.1 (1903) 1. 65.1 (1915)
2. 65.5 (1915) 2. 65.8 (1992)
3. 65.9 (1992) 3. 66.6 (1903)
4. 66.1 (1977) 4. 66.8 (1904)
5. 66.2 (1967) 5. 66.9 (1891)
6. 66.3 (1904,2004)***
***JUNE-AUGUST 2004 #14 COOLEST IN MINNEAPOLIS AT 68.0 DEGREES***
***RECORDS AND NOTES ABOUT AUGUST 2004 IN MINNEAPOLIS (1891-2004)***
RECORD LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE ON 8/10...59 DEGREES
RECORD LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE ON 8/11...65 DEGREES (TIED)
RECORD LOW MINIMUM TEMPERATURE ON 8/21...44 DEGREES
TIED FOR THIRD FOR FEWEST DAYS EXCEEDING 80 DEGREES...6 DAYS
ONLY 3 DAYS ABOVE 90 ALL SUMMER...AVERAGE IS 9 DAYS
ONLY 32 DAYS ABOVE 80 ALL SUMMER...AVERAGE IS 47 DAYS
59 OF THE 89 DAYS THIS SUMMER AT OR BELOW NORMAL.
TIED FOR 9TH COOLEST AVERAGE SUMMERTIME HIGH TEMPERATURE...77.1 DEGREES
EAU CLAIRE (1949-2004) EAU CLAIRE (1949-2004)
---------------------- ----------------------
1. 63.8 (2004)*** 1. 64.9 (1992)
2. 64.2 (1950) 2. 65.5 (1951)
3. 64.7 (1967) 3. 65.6 (2004)***
4. 64.8 (1951) 4. 65.7 (1958)
5. 65.1 (1992) 5. 66.0 (1950)
***RECORDS AND NOTES ABOUT AUGUST 2004 IN EAU CLAIRE (1949-2004)***
RECORD LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE ON 8/11...56 DEGREES
RECORD LOW MINIMUM TEMPERATURE ON 8/13...42 DEGREES
RECORD LOW MINIMUM TEMPERATURE ON 8/21...38 DEGREES
ANALOGIES BETWEEN TIMES OF EXTREME WEATHER ARE OFTEN DRAWN. DOES THIS
VERY COOL AUGUST MEAN A LONG...COLD...SNOWY WINTER AHEAD FOR MINNESOTA
AND WISCONSIN? NOTHING SCIENTIFICALLY LINKS A COOL AUGUST AND A COLD
UPCOMING WINTER. HOWEVER...THE STATISTICS ARE A LITTLE UNNERVING. IN
MINNEAPOLIS...MOST OF THE YEARS HAVING A COLD AUGUST WERE FOLLOWED BY
A VERY COLD TO EXTREMELY COLD METEOROLOGICAL WINTER. IN FACT...LOOKING
AT THE COLD AUGUSTS LISTED ABOVE...MANY WERE FOLLOWED BY BRUTALLY COLD
WINTERS. FOR EXAMPLE...1903 WAS THE 2ND COLDEST METEOROLOGICAL WINTER
EVER...1977 WAS THE 6TH COLDEST...1904 THE 18TH COLDEST...AND 1915
WAS SUBSTANTIALLY COLDER THAN NORMAL. 1992 IS THE ONLY YEAR WHERE A
COLD AUGUST WAS FOLLOWED BY A NORMAL WINTER...BUT EVEN THEN...1992 ENDED
UP MUCH SNOWIER THAN NORMAL. SO STATISTICALLY...CHANCES ARE THIS WINTER
WILL EITHER COLDER OR SNOWIER...OR BOTH...THAN NORMAL. ONLY TIME WILL TELL.
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
145 AM CDT WEDNESDAY SEP 1 2004
...RECORD COLD AUGUST AND SUMMER FOR DULUTH AND INTERNATIONAL FALLS...
THE MONTH OF AUGUST WAS THE COLDEST ON RECORD AT INTERNATIONAL FALLS...
WITH AN AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 56.0 DEGREES. THIS IS 7.8 DEGREES BELOW
NORMAL FOR THE MONTH. AUGUST WAS ALSO THE THIRD SUMMER MONTH TO BE BELOW
NORMAL...BRINGING THE SUMMER AVERAGE TEMPERATURE AT INTERNATIONAL FALLS
TO 58.3 DEGREES. THIS IS 5.5 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL...AND THE ALL TIME
COLDEST SUMMER ON RECORD FOR INTERNATIONAL FALLS.
DULUTH ALSO MADE THE RANKINGS FOR A COLD AUGUST. THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE
AT DULUTH FOR AUGUST WAS 58.9 DEGREES...WHICH IS 4.8 BELOW NORMAL. THIS
RANKS AS THE 5TH COLDEST AUGUST IN THE ALL TIME RECORD...AND THE 3RD
COLDEST AUGUST IN THE AIRPORT RECORDS. DULUTH ALSO HAD ALL THREE SUMMER
MONTHS COME IN BELOW NORMAL...RESULTING IN A SUMMER AVERAGE TEMPERATURE
OF 59.9 DEGREES. THIS IS 3.1 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL FOR THE SEASON...AND
RANKS THIS SUMMER AS THE 4TH COLDEST IN THE AIRPORT RECORDS...AND BARELY
MISSED THE TOP 10 COLDEST SUMMERS IN THE ALL TIME RECORDS...BY 0.1 DEGREES.
***DAILY RECORDS AND NOTES FOR AUGUST 2004 AT INTERNATIONAL FALLS***
NEW RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE OF 37 DEGREES WAS SET ON THE 5TH. NEW RECORD
LOW TEMPERATURE OF 39 DEGREES WAS SET ON THE 6TH. NEW RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE
OF 36 DEGREES WAS SET ON THE 19TH. NEW RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE OF 32 DEGREES
WAS SET ON THE 21ST. THE RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE WAS TIED AT 33 DEGREES ON
THE 20TH AND 23RD.
NEW RECORD LOW MAXIMUM OF 49 DEGREES WAS SET ON THE 11TH. THIS IS THE
COLDEST DAILY MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE EVER RECORDED AT INTERNATIONAL FALLS
IN THE MONTH OF AUGUST.
DURING THE MONTH OF AUGUST...INTERNATIONAL FALLS JUST MISSED REACHING THE
80 MARK ON THE 1ST...WHICH WAS THE WARMEST DAY OF THE MONTH...WITH A MAXIMUM
TEMPERATURE OF 79 DEGREES. THERE WERE 9 DAYS WHEN THE LOW TEMPERATURE DIPPED
INTO THE 30S...AND ONE DAY THAT REACHED FREEZING.
***DAILY RECORDS AND NOTES FOR AUGUST 2004 AT DULUTH*** NEW RECORD LOW
TEMPERATURE OF 37 DEGREES WAS SET ON THE 19TH. NEW RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE
OF 36 DEGREES WAS SET ON THE 20TH.
NEW RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE OF 37 DEGREES WAS SET ON THE 21ST.
NEW RECORD LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 53 DEGREES WAS SET ON THE 10TH.
THE COLDEST MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE ON RECORD FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST AT
DULUTH REMAINS 50 DEGREES...WHICH WAS SET ON THE 30TH IN 1892.
DURING THE MONTH OF AUGUST...DULUTH ONLY SAW THE 80S ONCE...ON
AUGUST 1ST WHEN THE HIGH TEMPERATURE WAS 84. THERE WERE 4 DAYS WITH
HIGHS THAT REMAINED IN THE 50S...AND 4 DAYS WITH LOWS THAT WERE IN THE
30S. THE COLDEST TEMPERATURE THIS AUGUST AT DULUTH WAS 36 DEGREES.
RECORD EVENT REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
910 PM CDT TUE AUG 31 2004
...THIRD COOLEST SUMMER ON RECORD AT SIOUX FALLS AND SIOUX CITY...
...THIRD COOLEST AUGUST ON RECORD AT SIOUX FALLS AND SIOUX CITY...
THE FOLLOWING ARE THE COOLEST SUMMERS ON RECORD AT SIOUX FALLS...
63.7 DEGREES IN 1915...66.2 DEGREES IN 1992...66.9 DEGREES IN 2004.
THE FOLLOWING ARE THE COOLEST SUMMERS ON RECORD AT SIOUX CITY...
67.0 DEGREES IN 1915...67.8 DEGREES IN 1992...68.9 DEGREES IN 2004.
IT WAS THE 5TH COOLEST SUMMER ON RECORD AT HURON WITH AN AVERAGE
TEMPERATURE OF 67.1 DEGREES.
NORMAL AVERAGE SUMMER TEMPERATURES ARE 70.4 DEGREES AT SIOUX FALLS...
72.4 DEGREES AT SIOUX CITY...AND 70.9 DEGREES AT HURON.
THE FOLLOWING ARE THE COOLEST AUGUSTS ON RECORD AT SIOUX FALLS...
63.7 DEGREES IN 1915...65.4 DEGREES IN 1897...65.5 DEGREES IN 2004.
THE FOLLOWING ARE THE COOLEST AUGUSTS ON RECORD AT SIOUX CITY...
66.2 DEGREES IN 1915...66.8 DEGREES IN 1992...68.2 DEGREES IN BOTH
2004 AND 1897.
IT WAS THE 5TH COOLEST AUGUST ON RECORD AT HURON WITH AN AVERAGE
TEMPERATURE OF 66.5 DEGREES.
NORMAL AVERAGE AUGUST TEMPERATURES ARE 70.8 DEGREES AT SIOUX FALLS...
72.1 DEGREES AT SIOUX CITY...AND 71.5 DEGREES AT HURON.
A VERY INTERESTING STATISTIC REPRESENTING THE COOL SUMMER WAS THE NUMBER
OF 90 DEGREE OR MORE DAYS. SIOUX FALLS HAS HAD ONLY 6 DAYS OF 90 DEGREES
OR MORE SO FAR IN 2004...COMPARED TO A NORMAL OF 20.
SIOUX CITY HAS HAD 11 SUCH DAYS COMPARED TO A NORMAL OF 23...AND HURON HAS
HAD ONLY 10 COMPARED TO A NORMAL OF 24.
THE LAST TIME ALL THREE SUMMER MONTHS WERE BELOW NORMAL IN TEMPERATURE WAS
IN 1992 AT BOTH SIOUX FALLS AND SIOUX CITY.
THE TEMPERATURE FAILED TO REACH 90 DEGREES IN AUGUST IN SIOUX FALLS FOR
FIRST TIME SINCE 1985.
PRECIPITATION WAS NOT TOO FAR FROM NORMAL AT ALL THREE SITES...BUT
WAS ABOVE NORMAL AT SIOUX FALLS AND HURON...AND BELOW NORMAL AT SIOUX CITY.
THE TOTAL SUMMER PRECIPITATION AT SIOUX FALLS AIRPORT WAS 10.98 INCHES...OR
1.55 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL. THE TOTAL SUMMER PRECIPITATION AT SIOUX CITY AIRPORT
WAS 8.03 INCHES...OR 1.78 INCHES BELOW NORMAL. AND THE TOTAL SUMMER
PRECIPITATION AT HURON WAS 10.87 INCHES...OR 2.66 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL.
...THE GRAND FORKS CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE SEASON, FROM
6/1/2004 TO 8/31/2004...
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1971 TO 2000
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1941 TO 2004
WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR'S
VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S)
NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
HIGH 104 07/05/1988
08/07/1983
LOW 30 07/03/1972
06/20/1969
06/06/1953
HIGHEST 89 07/18 MM MM 95 08/18
08/17
LOWEST 32 08/20 MM MM 42 06/01
AVG. MAXIMUM 73.7 79.3 -5.6 79.2
AVG. MINIMUM 50.0 54.1 -4.1 55.6
MEAN 61.8 66.7 -4.9 67.4
DAYS MAX >= 90 0 MM MM 6
DAYS MAX <= 32 0 MM MM 0
DAYS MIN <= 32 1 MM MM 0
DAYS MIN <= 0 0 MM MM 0
PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
MAXIMUM MM MM
MINIMUM MM MM
TOTALS 5.10 7.98 -2.88 7.12
DAILY AVG. 0.06 2.66 -2.60 0.08
DAYS >= .01 33 MM MM 33
DAYS >= .10 17 MM MM 22
DAYS >= .50 2 MM MM 5
DAYS >= 1.00 0 MM MM 0
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 0.85 08/25 TO 08/26
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
TOTAL MM MM
TOTALS 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
SINCE 7/1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
SNOWDEPTH AVG. 0 MM MM 0
DAYS >= 1.0 0 0.0 0.0 0
GREATEST
SNOW DEPTH 0 MM 0 MM
24 HR TOTAL 0.0 MM
DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 404 236 168 125
SINCE 7/1 242 80 162 41
COOLING TOTAL 136 402 -266 372
SINCE 1/1 136 392 -256 377
.................................................................
WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED 8.7
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 37/320 DATE 08/18
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 51/310 DATE 08/18
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.40
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 40
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 37
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 14
- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
THE SUMMER OF 2004 WILL GO DOWN AS THE COLDEST EVER
RECORDED AT GRAND FORKS AIRPORT, WITH AN AVERAGE
MONTHLY TEMPERATURE OF 61.8 DEGREES. THE PRIOR
RECORD WAS 62.5 DEGREES IN 1968.
THE SUMMER OF 2004 WAS THE FIFTH DRIEST RECORDED AT
GRAND FORKS AIRPORT, WITH 5.10 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION.
THE DRIEST SUMMER OCCURRED IN 1967, WITH 3.37 INCHES
OF PRECIPITATION.
...THE FARGO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE SEASON, FROM
6/1/2004 TO 8/31/2004...
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1971 TO 2000
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1881 TO 2004
WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR'S
VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S)
NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
HIGH 114 07/06/1936
LOW 28 06/01/1888
HIGHEST 90 07/21 MM MM 97 08/18
LOWEST 34 08/20 MM MM 39 06/01
AVG. MAXIMUM 75.4 80.7 -5.3 81.1
AVG. MINIMUM 53.2 56.3 -3.1 57.9
MEAN 64.3 68.5 -4.2 69.5
DAYS MAX >= 90 1 MM MM 10
DAYS MAX <= 32 0 MM MM 0
DAYS MIN <= 32 0 MM MM 0
DAYS MIN <= 0 0 MM MM 0
PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
MAXIMUM MM MM
MINIMUM MM MM
TOTALS 7.31 7.95 -0.64 7.35
DAILY AVG. 0.08 2.65 -2.57 0.08
DAYS >= .01 30 MM MM 31
DAYS >= .10 16 MM MM 16
DAYS >= .50 5 MM MM 4
DAYS >= 1.00 1 MM MM 2
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 1.36 07/05 TO 07/06
DEGREE_DAYS
COOLING TOTAL 238 482 -244 516
SINCE 1/1 238 493 -255 530
.................................................................
WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED 9.5
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 40/340 DATE 07/12
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 56/250 DATE 07/10
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.30
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 56
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 26
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 9
WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM 10 MIXED PRECIP 0
HEAVY RAIN 6 RAIN 17
LIGHT RAIN 36 FREEZING RAIN 0
LT FREEZING RAIN 0 HAIL 0
HEAVY SNOW 0 SNOW 0
LIGHT SNOW 0 SLEET 0
FOG 38 FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE 6
HAZE 12
- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
THE SUMMER OF 2004 WAS THE 7TH COLDEST EVER IN FARGO, WITH
AN AVERAGE MONTHLY TEMPERATURE OF 64.3 DEGREES. THE COLDEST
SUMMER EVER RECORDED IN FARGO WAS 63.3 DEGREES IN 1915.
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URL: http://climate.umn.edu/doc/journal/morecool0408.htm
Last modified: September 2, 2004
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