Warm Winter in Minnesota: 2005-2006

Warm Winter in Minnesota:
2005-2006

Despite a cool front that moved through Minnesota on Thursday January 12, temperatures were still well above normal. From December 21 to January 12, the average temperatures across the state were between 15 and 21 degrees above normal. See the table below for some select cities.

Temperature Summary from December 21, 2005 to January 12, 2006.                      
     
City           High Low Perd  Depart   
                        Ave   from   
                              Norm 
Duluth          38  10  27.2  17.9 
Intl. Falls     36   4  25.0  21.6  
Moorhead        39   0  26.0  18.3
MSP Airport     43   9  29.9  15.9 
Rochester       41  -2* 29.4  16.7 
St. Cloud       43   5  28.0  18.4 
Sioux Falls     46   0  30.0  15.5 

*This -2 temperature was on December 21.

Another aspect of this unusually warm weather is the lack of below zero temperatures this January. The first time the thermometer dipped below zero was on January 14th at International Falls with -4 and at Babbitt with -2. So far Duluth, the Twin Cities and many other cities in Minnesota haven't seen a below zero temperature this January.

The La Crosse National Weather Service has a recap of the 2005-06 Meteorological Winter through January 15. Below is a Public Information Statement about the warmth from the Duluth National Weather Service.

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
345 PM CST TUE JAN 10 2006

...MILD WINTER THUS FAR IN THE NORTHLAND...

THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IN DULUTH FOR THE 1ST 40 DAYS OF THIS 
WINTER...DECEMBER 1ST THROUGH JANUARY 9TH....HAS BEEN 22.0 DEGREES. 
THIS AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IS 10.9 DEGREES DEGREES ABOVE THE NORMAL 
FOR THE FIRST 40  DAYS OF WINTER. INTERNATIONAL FALLS WINTER 
AVERAGE TEMPERATURE SO FAR HAS BEEN 19.1 DEGREES. THIS IS 13.8
DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL.

THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR THE 1ST 9 DAYS OF JANUARY IN DULUTH... 
HAS AVERAGED 26.3 DEGREES...AN AMAZING 18.1 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. 
INTERNATIONAL FALLS AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR JANUARY SO FAR...IS 
23.2 DEGREES OR AN EVEN MORE AMAZING 20.8 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL.

EVEN WITH LOTS OF WINTER LEFT...THIS STILL HAS BEEN QUITE A MILD
SPELL FOR THE REGION SO FAR.    

LOOKING AHEAD TO THE WHAT IF'S FOR DULUTH...

IF WE FINISH THIS JANUARY AT OR ABOVE 20 DEGREES FOR AN AVERAGE
TEMPERATURE...THIS WOULD ONLY BE THE 5TH TIME...DATING ALL THE WAY 
BACK TO 1875 THAT THIS HAS OCCURRED. ALSO...WE HAVE NOT HAD A LOW 
TEMPERATURE BELOW ZERO SO FAR THIS JANUARY. THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A 
JANUARY ON RECORD...WHERE AT LEAST ONE DAY RECORDED A DAILY LOW  
TEMPERATURE BELOW ZERO. THE FEWEST NUMBER OF DAYS IN JANUARY WITH A 
LOW BELOW ZERO IN JANUARY IS 3 DAYS SET IN JANUARY OF 1889...1891 
AND IN 1898.

THE EXTENDED FORECAST FOR THE NEXT 10 DAYS CALLS FOR CONTINUED
ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE NORTHLAND.

DULUTH TOP 5 WARMEST WINTERS    
     AVG TEMP      YEAR
1ST    28.0     1877-1878 
2ND    22.3     1997-1998
3RD    22.1     1881-1882
4TH    21.7     1930-1931
5TH    20.5     2001-2002

DULUTH TOP 5 WARMEST JANUARY'S.
      AVG TEMP     YEAR
1ST     21.9       1944
2ND     21.0       1880
3RD     20.5       1891
4TH     20.4       1878
5TH     19.8       1931

INTERNATIONAL FALLS TOP 5 WARMEST WINTERS
     AVG TEMP      YEAR
1ST    19.8     1997-1998 
2ND    17.0     1920-1921
3RD    16.8     1986-1987
4TH    16.4     2001-2002
5TH    14.7     1982-1983

INTERNATIONAL FALLS TOP 5 WARMEST JANUARY'S
     AVG TEMP      YEAR
1ST    17.5        1944 
2ND    14.6        1919
3RD    14.2        1921
4TH    13.4        1990
5TH    13.2        1942

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URL: http://climate.umn.edu/doc/journal/warm_winter0506.htm
Last modified: January 16, 2006