Weird November 2020: Sunnier, warmer, and snowier than average

2020 has been a weird year for many of us. Minnesota’s November weather fits right in.

I was astounded to look at the weather records for November as we hit that halfway point. I can’t recall a month that’s been much sunnier, warmer, and snowier than average in Minnesota.

But this is 2020 after all.

A sunny November?

I’ll be honest. November is by far my least favorite month in Minnesota. It’s climatologically our cloudiest month of the year with on 39 percent of possible sunshine on average.

Not this year.

So far we’ve recorded 10 of 15 days with abundant sunshine in the Twin Cities. That’s closer to 67 percent of possible sunshine.

I’ll take it.

Record warmth

The first half of November is running about 3 to 6 degrees warmer than average in Minnesota.

The Twin Cities has logged five days in the 70s, that’s a record. Many other locations have also set records for the number of days in the 70s this month.

Here’s more on our early November warmth from the Minnesota DNR Climate Working Group.

Minnesota's dramatic and highly varying fall continues, with some of the warmest November conditions ever recorded in the state.

After a historically winter-like late October, the jet stream retreated into Canada by November 2nd, opening the door to a rush of historically warm air that overspread the entire region, lasting into Monday the 9th in southern and eastern parts of the state.

On November 3rd, with cloudless skies and light winds, temperatures soared into the 70s right up to the Canadian border, and along the shore of Lake Superior, reaching the 80-degree mark in parts of western and southwestern Minnesota. This marked the beginning of the warmest six-day period in any November on record throughout the state.

The warmth set a slew of records across the state. Duluth, International Falls, Rochester, St. Cloud, and the Twin Cities, all broke (and in some cases shattered) their records for number of November days with 70-degree (or higher) daily maximum temperatures. Of those,  Duluth, International Falls and St. Cloud all set new all-time high temperature records for November. One of Minnesota's longest-running cooperative observers, at Milan in Chippewa County, set its all-time November high temperature record (82 degrees F), and recorded three separate high temperatures of 80 degrees or higher.

Snowy too

You wouldn’t think a warm sunny month would also produce above-average snowfall totals. But again, this is 2020.

Most of Minnesota is running well above average for snowfall this month.

The Twin Cities has recorded 8.3 inches of snow this month. That’s more than 5 inches above average. Duluth has recorded 16.7 inches so far. That’s more than 10 inches above average.

November is only halfway over.

Stay tuned.