Some Warm Winter Statistics
The winter of 2001-2002 will be written in the history books as one of the mildest winters on record for the Twin Cities
as well as much of Minnesota. There were a number of records that were broken, or very close to being broken in the
Twin Cities since modern record keeping began in 1891. Listed below are some of these records.
At 8:00 am on January 18th, 2002 the Twin Cities finally saw a below zero temperature at the at the International Airport.
Thus the streak of days without a below zero temperature this winter is over. The Twin Cities set a record for the longest stretch into winter without a below zero temp. The old record was January 16th, 1955 when the Twin Cities had a low of -1. The new record is January 18th, 2002. The Twin Cities official temperature had stayed above zero in 2001-2002 for 323 days. The last time the International Airport had seen a below zero temperature was on February 28, 2001. This stretch of 323 days above zero from March 1, 2001 to January 17th, 2002 is ranked #7 on the all time longest streaks of staying above zero.
The following are some lack of getting to below zero statistics and some records.
These following statistics are for the Twin Cities from 1891-2002. The winter of 2001-2002
set a record in the Twin Cities for the smallest number of below-zero lows in a winter season.
Here are the top four winters with the least number of below zero temperatures.
Year Number of days below zero (Twin Cities 1891-2002)
----------------------------------------
1.) 2001-2002 2 *new record
2.) 1930-1931 5
3.) 1986-1987 7
4.) 1982-1983 8
The average number of below zero minimum temperatures in the Twin Cities (1971-2000) is 28.
Longest intervals without below zero temperatures (Twin Cities 1891-2002)
-------------------------------------------------------------
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.) 3/1/01 to 1/17/02 323
8.) 2/11/11 to 12/26/11 319
9.) 1/28/24 to 12/10/24 317
10.) 2/22/18 to 12/31/19 313
Other interesting mild winter trivia
The latest first below zero ever recorded in winter (1891-2002) is (at least -1F) on January 18th, 2002.
The highest minimum ever recorded in a winter season (1891-2002) is -3 on March 3, 2002. This breaks the
old record of -8F on February 7,1983.
The only time the Twin Cities did not have a below zero temperature in January (1891-2001) was 1990.
November 2001 through January 2002 finished as the warmest November through January on record in the
Twin Cities. The preliminary average temperature for November 2001 through January 2002 is 32.9 degrees F.
This tops the previous record November through January by over two degrees. The normal average temperature
for November through January (1971-2000) is 22.4 F.
Here are the top ten November through January average temperatures from 1890 through 2002.
Rank Year Avg. Temp
----------------------------------
1.) 2001-2002 32.9 F
2.) 1913-1914 30.7 F
3.) 1918-1919 29.5 F
4.) 1931-1932 29.5 F
5.) 1930-1931 28.7 F
6.) 1899-1900 28.0 F
7.) 1941-1942 27.8 F
8.) 1999-2000 27.8 F
9.) 1994-1995 27.0 F
10.) 1957-1958 26.8 F
This season's average temperatures were also compared to the pioneer record temperatures from
Ft. Snelling and the St. Paul Signal Service Corps (1820-1890). The warmest November through January
average temperature found before 1890 was 30.0 degrees F in the winter of 1877-1878. Thus, November
2001-January 2002 is the warmest November-January in the Twin Cities for 180 years!
"Meteorological Winter" is defined by the months of December, January and February.
The warmest "Meteorological Winter" for 1890-2001 in the Twin Cities was 1930-1931, when the December
through February average temperature was 27.0 degrees F. The winter of 2001-2002 just missed the record by
a tenth of a degree and finished in 2nd place.
Here are the top ten December through February average temperatures from 1890 through 2002.
Rank Year Avg. Temp
----------------------------------
1.) 1930-1931 27.0 F
2.) 2001-2002 26.9 F
3.) 1997-1998 26.0 F
4.) 1986-1987 25.8 F
5.) 1982-1983 24.1 F
6.) 1991-1992 23.7 F
7.) 1943-1944 23.5 F
8.) 1920-1921 23.3 F
9.) 1999-2000 23.1 F
10.) 1941-1942 22.5 F
However, if November is included to December through February, the winter of 2001-2002 was much warmer than
the winter of 1930-1931 by over two degrees. November 2001 through February 2002 was the warmest November
through February of the modern record.
Here are the top ten November through February average temperatures from 1890 through 2002.
Rank Year Avg. Temp
----------------------------------
1.) 2001-2002 31.8
2.) 1930-1931 29.5
3.) 1999-2000 27.8
4.) 1931-1932 27.0
5.) 1997-1998 26.5
6.) 1986-1987 26.4
7.) 1918-1919 26.3
8.) 1941-1942 26.0
9.) 1982-1983 25.9
10.) 1953-1954 25.9
A scan of the database was done to see what Februaries were like following the warmest November through January
periods. The Februaries ranged from the warmest ever (1931) to the 4th coldest ever (1914). Thus, having a very
mild November through January doesn't necessarily have a bearing on what February will hold. February 2002 wound up being
the fifth warmest February on record with an average temperature of 28.4 degrees. March came in "like a lion" with
much colder than normal temperatures. March 3 set a record cold high temperature of 7 degrees, breaking the old record of
11 in 1916.
Here are some other articles from the climate journal on past warm winters.
The Year Without a Winter, 1877-1878
Minnesota's Balmy Winter, 1997-1998
The Twin Cities Balmy (and Cloudy) Winter, 1997-1998
Duluth's Balmy Winter, 1997-1998
Balmy Start to Minnesota's Winter (1998-1999) - Impact on Wildlife
More on the Balmy Start to Minnesota's Winter (1998-1999)
A Balmy Start to Minnesota's Winter(1998-1999)
Another Mild Winter for the Twin Cities(1998-1999)
Twin Cities Winter Warmth, 1999 - 2000
Warm November 2001
 Return to the Climate
Journal
mcwg@soils.umn.edu
URL: http://climate.umn.edu/doc/journal/warm020110.htm
Last modified: April 26, 2002
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