Severe storms are rolling through central Minnesota including the Twin Cities

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Most of Minnesota is living through a summer that’s more typical of Mediterranean climates than our typical Minnesota summers. By most metrics, our warm and dry summer has created one of Minnesota’s 

. And this type of summer weather in Minnesota is more typical of climate zones in the northern Mediterranean Sea. 

Summer temperatures in Minnesota are running about 4 degrees warmer than average in much of Minnesota. 

So far the average temperature for the Twin Cities since June 1 is about 76 degrees. That’s not far from the summer average temperature in places like Barcelona, Spain, which is about 77 degrees. 

Most of Minnesota picks up more than 12-inches of rain in an average summer. Summer rainfall in Minnesota has been scant with many areas showing 6 to 10-inch rainfall deficits since June 1.

Before Tuesday’s rainfall, the Twin Cities recorded just 5.44 inches of rain since June 1. That’s not much more than the summer average rainfall of around 5 inches in Barcelona. 

So when you compare Minnesota’s summer weather this year to other climate zones around the globe, this summer is more typical of some Mediterranean climates than a typical lukewarm, rainy Minnesota summer. 

Paul Huttner

Author

Minnesota’s warm, dry summer of 2021 is more typical of a Mediterranean climate. 

Paul Huttner/MPR News

Sergi Larripa via Wikipedia

Midwest Regional Climate Center

July 2021 precipitation departure from average

Minnesota's Mediterranean Summer of 2021

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