Happy Autumn: Summer was warmest on record for Twin Cities
Streak of warmer than average temperatures hits 7 months. October outlook favors warmer than average temperatures.
Happy Autumn 2021 Minnesota.
The vernal equinox at 2:20 p.m. Wednesday marks the start of astronomical autumn.
Here are a few interesting tidbits about our autumnal equinox in Minnesota.
The sun is at about 45 degrees above the southern horizon now at solar noon.
Minnesota is now getting the same amount of solar energy as March 21.
The sun rises and sets almost directly due east/west this time of year.
Warmest meteorological summer on record
2021 was the warmest meteorological summer on record for many Minnesota locations including the Twin Cities, Brainerd and Duluth. We nearly set the statewide warmest summer on record.
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Mark Seeley elaborates in this Weather Talk post.
If we look at the statewide mean monthly temperatures for June through August, 70.6°F, this trails only the summer of 1988, 70.7°F on a statewide basis for hottest summer in state history. For some individual climate stations, 2021 brought the hottest summer in their climate history, including MSP, Duluth, Brainerd, Grand Rapids, Roseau, and Park Rapids.
It’s also interesting to note the wide geographical differences in summer rainfall across Minnesota’s climate divisions.
Warm streak hit 7 months
September is running 2 degrees warmer than average in the Twin Cities as we approach the last week of this month. This marks the 7th straight month of warmer than average temperatures in the Twin Cities and much of Minnesota. Here’s are the numbers for the Twin Cities compared to the average since March.
March +7.2 degrees
April +0.6 degrees
May +0.7 degrees
June +7.2 degrees
July +1.7 degrees
August +2.2 degrees
September +2.0 degrees
Overall our temperatures have been about 3 degrees warmer than average in the Twin Cities since March 1. That’s closer to the average climate for Des Moines, Iowa.
Warm October?
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s monthly climate outlook for October favors warmer than average temperatures overall across the Midwest.
It also slightly favors wetter than average conditions across most of Minnesota.