2021 is the 5th warmest year on record so far for Twin Cities
December's other wintry shoe in about 10 days?
It’s not your imagination. This has been a very warm year for Minnesota.
Kenny Blumenfeld with the Minnesota DNR Climate Working Group tells me 2021 is the 5th warmest year on record so far through this week for the Twin Cities. And we’re not alone. Here are some other select locations in Minnesota with the top 10 warmest years on record so far through November 21.
International Falls: 2nd warmest year on record
Duluth: 5th warmest year on record
Rochester: 8th warmest year on record
2021 was the hottest summer on record for the Twin Cities, Duluth, and Brainerd.
So far November is running about 2 degrees warmer than average in the Twin Cities. It’s the 9th straight month of warmer than average temperatures.
December: Wintry pattern emerging
Where we finish the year in temperature rankings now depends on December. So far the early days of December look miler than average across the Upper Midwest and the western U.S.
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But forecast models favor a shift to a colder, more wintry pattern by the second week of December. NOAA’s week 3 and 4 temperature outlook suggest a more typical La Niña type pattern with colder air across the northern states and milder than average air in the south and southwest.
Stay tuned.