Motorcycling in Minnesota in February?
Geez! Now that’s a sight in February, especially in Minnesota! When the mercury hits 60F in the Twin Cities during the winter anything can happen!
How warm is it? Here’s an excerpt from Mark Seeley’s weekly Weather Talk:
Record High February Temperatures: Last Friday was a remarkably warm day with many climate observers in southern and western counties reporting daytime high temperatures in the 50s F. Some communities reached new record maximum temperatures for the date including 55°F at Milan, 56°F at Canby, Pipestone, and 58°F at Redwood Falls. The reading at Redwood Falls broke the previous statewide record high temperature of 57°F set at Luverne in 1977. It appears as though more record high daily temperature records around the state may be threatened this Friday through Monday (Feb 17-20). So far this month observers around the state are reporting mean February temperatures that average 5 to 9 degrees above normal. By the end of the month I would not be surprised to see some climate stations running over 10 degrees F above normal, for perhaps the warmest February since 2002. Several all-time state maximum temperature records may be threatened and I would not be surprised to see a 70°F reading occur somewhere in the state. If so, that would be just the third time in history such a temperature occurred during the month of February. The only other years were 1896 and 2000.
Golfing in February?
Yes, this weather is getting REALLY strange now. Not sure I can ever remember contemplating whether or not to make a tee time in February. Thanks to Cedar Creek Golf Course for the image below, who will be OPEN for golf this weekend… unreal!
(Image below courtesy: Cedar Creek Golf Course Facebook Page)
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Flying Over Lake Minnetonka
Thanks to @AndreSiffert on Twitter for the picture below who flew over Lake Minnetonka late last week and noticed very few (if any) ice houses on the lake. The recent warm weather has created uneasy and unsafe ice conditions around area lakes… be careful!
Officials Warn of Thinning Ice Around Area Lakes
I feel cheated. I love winters in Minnesota and everything that comes along with it. Call me crazy, but I like the snows, I like the extreme cold temps and I love the winter sports. Unfortunately, this winter has been stunted. The coldest 3 months (on average) for the northern hemisphere, which is also known as Meteorological winter has been running well above average in the temperature department. Month by month here it is for the Twin Cities:
December: +1.2F above average
January: +5.3F above average
February (thru the 15th): +6.2F above average
Because of that, official are warning of thin ice on area lakes. There have been several cars that have already gone through lakes, so angler should stay aware of their situation before heading out.
For more ice safety information from the MN DNR, see HERE:
How Rare are 50F+ in February in the Twin Cities?
Take a look at the red lines below, this tells us how many times the Twin Cities has seen 50F or warmer since the late 1800s. Note that we’ve only had a maximum of 6 days and has happened only 3 times, in the 1930s and again in 1981. Note that the next 6 days are forecast to be at or greater than 50F!
Here’s the temperature outlook through February 26th, which shows well above average temperatures continuing through the weekend and into early next week. Note that Friday’s high temperatures was the first time we’ve 50F and 60F in the Twin Cities since November 28th (55F) and November 16th (61F). This weekend will continue to feel very much like April with highs in the 50s to near 60 degrees! Unreal!
Record Warmth Continues…
Twin Cities: 6 days (1930 and 1981)
St. Cloud: 5 days (1981)
Eau Claire: 7 days (1930)
How often does the temperature reach 60 degrees or higher in February?
Twin Cities:
There have only been 4 days on record (back to 1873) when the temperature has reached 60 degrees or warmer in February (1896, 1921, 1981, 2000).
The earliest 60 degree reading on record is February 15th (1921).
St. Cloud:
There have been no days on record with a temperature of 60 degrees or warmer in February since temperature records began in St. Cloud in 1894.
The earliest 60 degree reading on record is March 3rd (1905).
Widespread Record February Warmth Through Early Next Week
As temperatures warm later this week, record warmth could follow. The images below show where record warmth is forecast (circles) for Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Note that by Friday, record warmth could stretch as far north as Minneapolis, MN, St. Cloud, MN, and Fargo, ND!
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Golf clubs this weekend, then shovels late week?
By Todd Nelson, filling in for Douglas.
Does anyone else think this weather is a bit strange? Golf courses are open, grills are being fired and brave souls are wearing shorts! What the heck?
February 2017 in the Twin Cities is off to a very warm start. In fact, the average temperature is running nearly 7 degrees above average. Note that February typically sees about 5 sub-zero nights in the Twin Cities and we haven’t seen one yet. At this rate, I don’t think we’ll even go below zero this month.
After widespread record warmth across the Upper Midwest on Friday, we have another chance to see record warmth over the weekend and into early next week. Interestingly, the same storm that is flooding parts of southern California will bring scattered showers and rare February rumbles to a neighborhood near you on Monday.
Enjoy the mild weather while you can. Long range forecast models are suggesting the potential of accumulating snow across parts of the Upper Midwest late next week. Talk about weather whiplash. Good grief. Stay tuned for more on that. Happy grilling
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FRIDAY NIGHT: Mostly clear, mild and quiet. Winds: W 5-10. Low: 36
SATURDAY: Hazy sun. Hints of April. Winds: WSW 5. High: 52.
SATURDAY NIGHT: More clouds, still mild. Winds: W 5. Low: 35.
SUNDAY: Another record high? More PM clouds. Showers develop overnight. Winds: SE 5-15. High: 58.
MONDAY: Record warmth again. Breezy with scattered showers and rumbles. Winds: SSE 10-20. Wake-up: 46. High: 58.
TUESDAY: Sun returns. Still feels like April. Winds: SW 5-15. Wake-up: 44. High: 56.
WEDNESDAY: Hazy sun. Last very warm day. Winds: WSW 5-15. Wake-up: 40. High: 54.
THURSDAY: Breezy. Rain/snow mix develops. Winds: NE 10-20. Wake-up: 35. High: 43.
FRIDAY: Windy. Rain changes to wet snow. Winds: NNW 15-25. Wake-up: 32. High: 35.
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This Day in Weather History
February 18th
1979: This is one of the rare times that Lake Superior completely freezes over.
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Average High/Low for Minneapolis
February 18th
Average High: 30F (Record: 58F set in 1981)
Average: Low: 14F (Record: -21F set in 1903)
*Record Snowfall: 7.0″ set in 1961
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Sunrise Sunset Times For Minneapolis
February 17th
Sunrise: 7:08am
Sunset: 5:46pm
*Daylight Gained Since Yesterday: ~2 minutes & 58 seconds
*Daylight Gained Since Winter Solstice (December 21st): ~1 hour & 51 minutes
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Moon Phase for February 16th at Midnight
0.5 Days Before Last Quarter
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Weather Outlook For Saturday
Saturday will be another extremely warm day for February across the Upper Midwest. Highs in the 40s and 50s will be 20F to nearly 25F above average!
Weather Outlook For Saturday
Winds will mainly be light across the region on Saturday, but they will be out of a more westerly direction. Won’t don’t really look to pick until early next week as a storm system rolls through the region.
Weather Outlook For Saturday
Bright sunshine continues on Saturday with a few more clouds across the Dakotas and far nothern Minnesota. Enjoy the sunshine while you can, it appears that clouds will thicken up late Sunday and Monday as our next storm system moves into the region with scattered showers and potentially even some rumbles of thunder.
8 to 14 Day Temperature Outlook
According to NOAA’s CPC, the 8 to 14 day temperature outlook suggests warmer than average temperatures continuing across much of the Upper Midwest from February 26th – March 2nd. There may be a slight cool down late month, but the overall trend remains warmer than average.
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Here’s the 8 to 14 day temperature outlook, which takes us into early March. Note that much warmer than average temperatures look to continue over the eastern two-thirds of the nation, while the Western U.S. looks to begin seeing cooler than average temps.
Take a look at the temperature anomaly through Saturday, February 25th. Note that the despite a quick shot of cooler than average temps by the middle and end of this week, the eastern half of the country looks to stay warmer than average through much of that time period. Colder than average temps begin moving into the western part of the country next week and perhaps into the central part of the country by the last weekend of the month.
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Here’s the national weather outlook through the weekend, which continues to show another surge of Pacific moisture moving through the Western US. As this first surge of moisture works east through the Central US, thunderstorms and heavy rainfall will develop across the Gulf Coast States and bring thunderstorms to parts of the Upper Midwest on Monday. Another surge of Pacific Moisture looks to blast the West Coast as we head through the rest of the weekend and early next week.
Several rounds of heavy precipitation have blasted the West Coast and we’re not quite done yet. Another surge of heavy precipitation will push through the region this week and weekend ahead with more possible into early next week with significant rainfall and flooding along with heavy mountain snow.
More Heavy Rains in California
According to NOAA’s WPC, the 5 day precipitation forecast suggests widespread 6″ to 9″+ precipitation amounts across the West Coast through the early weekend. This will likely help improve the drought even more as we head into the 3rd week of February.
Take a look at how impressive the 30 day precipitation tallies are across the West Coast. Note the purple colors that indicate 12″ of liquid! Some spots have quite a bit more than that and there’s more precipitation on the way!
Improving California Drought
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, the California drought continues to improve. Note that over the last 3 months, we have seen major improvement in the Exceptional, Extreme and Severe drought. With the additional moisture expected this week, we should continue to see even more improvement!
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Snowfall Potential
Here’s the snowfall potential through the end of next week, which shows heavy mountain snow continuing across parts of the Western U.S.. Also note the snow potential across the Midwest late next week… while it is still WAY to early to tell what’s happening with that particular snow chance, it’s worth watching. Stay tuned!
Feels More Like Spring Than February
Thanks to my cousin Jessica Gust for the picture below who is spending time in Atlanta, GA where spring has apparently already sprung! She snapped these pictures from the Atlanta Botanical Garden… it looks beautiful Jess, thanks!
According to USA National Phenology Network, areas in the green color below show where spring has already sprung across parts of the Southern U.S.. Their definition of spring is this: The appearance of the first tiny leaves on the trees, or the first crocus plants peeping through the snow? “The Spring Leaf Index is a synthetic measure of these early season events in plants, based on recent temperature conditions. This model allows us to track the progression of spring onset across the country.”
“The map below shows locations that have reached the requirements for the Spring Leaf Index model (based on NOAA National Centers for Environmental Prediction Real-Time Mesoscale Analysis temperature products).”
Interestingly, spring has sprung 20+ days ahead of normal in some locations across the Southern U.S..
“We can evaluate whether spring is arriving early, late, or right on time this year at a location by comparing the day of year the Spring Leaf Index requirements were reached in 2017 to the day of year the Index is typically reached. We determine what is typical for a location by averaging the day the Index was reached over the 1981-2010 period. The number of days a between when the Index was reached this year and when it is typically reached at a location is called the “anomaly.””
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“A NASA Astronaut Just Pulled Off an Awesome Prank in Space”
NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson just pulled off a prank that’s literally out of this world. Whitson, a veteran space traveler, is one of six people living and working on the International Space Station right now. And while astronauts are usually pretty busy in space, Whitson found time Monday (Feb. 13) to surprise her Russian crewmates with a gag you could only pull off in space. As you can see here, Whitson packed herself inside a cargo bag and enlisted two partners-in-prank (NASA’s Shane Kimbrough and France’s Thomas Pesquet) to surprise their Russian crewmates. [Fun in Zero G: Awesome Weightless Photos] “They were quite surprised when I popped out!” Whitson wrote in a Twitter post.
(NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson pops out of a cargo bag during a prank on the International Space Station on Feb. 13, 2017. Credit: Peggy Whitson/Twitter/NASA)
“The Northern Lights is distracting drivers, Icelandic police warn”
“We are all familiar with the risks of driving under the influence of alcohol, but what about driving under the influence of the Aurora Borealis? Well, that’s becoming an increasing problem in Iceland, according to local police, who say foreign motorists are driving dangerously because they are being distracted by the Northern Lights. According to the local news site, Víkurfréttir, police stopped two motorists for driving dangerously last week; in both incidents the officers suspected the drivers were drunk, but soon realised they had a more innocent explanation for their behaviour: they had been distracted by the light show above them.”
See more from the telegraph.co.uk HERE:
(Motorists have reportedly been “driving under the influence of the Aurora Borealis”CREDIT: AP/FOTOLIA)
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“Scientists have just detected a major change to the Earth’s oceans linked to a warming climate”
“A large research synthesis, published in one of the world’s most influential scientific journals, has detected a decline in the amount of dissolved oxygen in oceans around the world — a long-predicted result of climate change that could have severe consequences for marine organisms if it continues. The paper, published Wednesday in the journal Nature by oceanographer Sunke Schmidtko and two colleagues from the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research in Kiel, Germany, found a decline of more than 2 percent in ocean oxygen content worldwide between 1960 and 2010. The loss, however, showed up in some ocean basins more than others. The largest overall volume of oxygen was lost in the largest ocean — the Pacific — but as a percentage, the decline was sharpest in the Arctic Ocean, a region facing Earth’s most stark climate change.”
See more from the Washington Post HERE:
(Big waves generated by the Nazare canyon just off the coast of Nazare, central Portugal, in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean. (Francisco Leong/Agence France-Presse via Getty Images))
“Firefall wows visitors at California’s Yosemite National Park”
“The “firefall” phenomenon at California’s Yosemite National Park is back. In mid-February each year, the sun hits the Horsetail Fall at just the right angle to create an illusion that looks like lava flowing off the side of the cliff instead of water. The firefall only lasts for a few minutes at sunset, and draws hundreds of visitors hoping to capture an out-of-this-world shot.”
See more from USAToday.com HERE:
(Image credit: sangeetadeyphotograph via Instagram)
Thanks for checking in and don’t forget to follow me on Twitter @TNelsonWX
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