Area braces for a scorcher
(AP) - While we're in the midst of one of the hottest streches of weather for quite some time, it's actually been warmer than usual for the past 12 months.
From June 2005 through May 2006, Minnesota was one of 10 states that experienced their warmest 12-month periods in more than a century of weather records, according to the National Climatic Data Center.
The period was 4.2 degrees warmer than normal in Minnesota, driven by an unusually warm January when the average temperature was 15.5 degrees above normal in the Twin Cities and 16.7 in St. Cloud.
The country experienced its warmest January and April on record. April was 7 degrees above normal and the third-warmest April on record in Minnesota.
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February was the only month of the 12 that was colder than normal, by a scant tenth of a degree. The warm spell continued in June with an average temperature 2.6 degrees above normal.
The other states where the 12-month period was the warmest on record were Wisconsin, Iowa, North Dakota, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Vermont, Michigan and New Mexico.
A scorcher was on tap for Minnesota Friday after strong thunderstorms brought some moisture to dry parts of Minnesota. Parts of western, central and southern Minnesota received high winds, large hail and heavy rain on Thursday.
The federal government's U.S. Drought Monitor officially declared Thursday that a large swath of Minnesota is in a drought. A moderate drought extends from northwestern Minnesota through central and east-central Minnesota, including the Twin Cities and Duluth. Most of the rest of the state is rated abnormally dry, with only southwestern Minnesota having normal moisture.
This weekend will be dry with plenty of sun. Highs were expected to reach the low 90s Friday and soar into the mid to upper 90s Saturday. West-central Minnesota could see temperatures near 100 Saturday afternoon, the National Weather Service said, and the hot weather was forecast to continue Sunday.
An excessive heat watch is in effect for the Twin Cities from Saturday afternoon through Sunday afternoon, when the heat and humidity were expected to push the heat index above 100 degrees.
State and local officials were cautioning the public to prepare for this weekend's heat wave.
"People around the rest of the nation may think of Minnesota as a cool place, but we're about to see how hot things can get up here," Gov. Tim Pawlenty said. "During this heat wave, it's important for Minnesotans to take care of themselves and one another."
Minnesota Health Commissioner Dianne Mandernach urged friends, family and neighbors to visit and monitor those most vulnerable to the heat, including the elderly, children, pregnant women, the chronically ill and people with mental illness.
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
