‘Unhealthy’ air quality expected in eastern Minnesota through Monday afternoon due to wildfire smoke

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Minnesota’s record wet bias continues as we move into October. No matter how you slice the numbers Minnesota is having the wettest year on record.  And it’s part of a longer-term trend of wetter years in Minnesota. 

1) Wettest “water year” on record in Minnesota

Hydrologists use Oct. 1-Sept. 30 as the “

.” That’s because precipitation that falls in autumn generally doesn’t evaporate before the following summer. It either soaks into soils or runs off.

The water year just ended is the wettest on record for the Twin Cities. 

The 41.39 inches of precipitation recorded is more than 10 inches above the running 30-year average annual precipitation of 30.61 inches. For comparison, 42 inches of precipitation annually is about average for St. Louis.

2) 2019 is the wettest year to date so far

MPR climate guru Dr. Mark Seeley sends this tidbit today. 

3) September was the second wettest on record statewide 

More rain is on the radar and on the forecast models. A stalled frontal boundary to our south continues to be the focus of heavy rainfall into Wednesday. 

The stalled front is basically the dividing line between the last summery air mass to the south and the colder fall air mass to the north.

I can’t remember seeing a flash flood watch as long as the current zone. It runs from New Mexico all the way to Michigan. Wow.

Talk about a seasonal reality check. Temperatures are running 30 to 40 degrees colder across Minnesota today compared with Monday.

Get used to it. Highs in the 50s will be common into the weekend. Temperatures will moderate back into the (upper?) 60s by late next week. 

We’ll probably hit 70 again in the Twin Cities this fall, but right now I don't see any more 80s in sight.

Soggy September: Minnesota's record wet bias continues

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