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
  • -

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    URL: http://climate.umn.edu/doc/journal/warm020110.htm
    Last modified: April 26, 2002