Minnesota nights getting warmer

The Twin Cities Meteorological Society’s 4th Annual Minnesota State of the Climate event, held at the Anpétu Téca Education Center in Roseville, had a special focus on Minnesota’s long-standing weather observation network.

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Assistant State Climatologist Pete Boulay led three simultaneous presentations on a night that was supposed to have had three presenters.

DNR Senior Climatologist Kenny Blumenfeld fell ill and was unable to present, and Boulay presented on his slides covering the bulk of the current numbers on Minnesota’s climate.

“Minnesota’s nights are getting warmer, particularly in the winter months from December through February,” said Boulay. On average in Northern Minnesota, the temperature is now 7.3 degrees warmer now that it was climatologically speaking 100 years ago. 

Boulay also says that the trend is keeping less snow pack on the ground too. “Less snow equals warmer winters,” he said. This process makes the warm-ups exponential even by small numbers.

An arbitrary group favorite was presented, the annual Top 5 Weather Events for Minnesota, featuring the five significant weather events from the previous year that those who are weather-connected, such as meteorologists and severe weather spotters, are sent and are voted on.

This year’s number one in the Top 5 was the exceptionally wet period from June 15-22. There was a significant amount of rain over southern Minnesota during this period, which caused historic flooding.

“This really started getting traction when the national news picked up the dam failure at the Rapidan Dam south of Mankato,” said Boulay said. This also coincides with the record flooding in Waterville, Minn. 

A full list of the Top 5 Minnesota Weather Events of 2024 can be found at dnr.state.mn.us/climate/journal/ under the December 2024. 

The last portion of the evening was to hold a presentation by Meteorologist Michelle Margraf, the Central Minnesota CoCoRaHS coordinator, on the history of the weather observers role in climatology.

Margraf’s presentation was thwarted from being presented Monday though. She stated, “At the instruction of the Department of Commerce we are unable to participate in public-facing speaking engagements until further notice. As a result, I will be unable to participate in the Twin Cities Meteorological Society meeting on Thursday evening.” The Department of Commerce oversees the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which her job is housed under.

CoCoRaHS, started in 1998, stands for Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network and is a group of trained volunteer observers that report mostly precipitation back to be recorded. There are some observers of CoCoRaHS have been reporting for decades, according to Boulay.

Boulay, being a state employee rather than a federal employee, generously offered to present what he could of her information, focusing highly on the long-time observers network for weather held here in Minnesota. 

MNgage and the National Weather Service’s Cooperative Observer Program were groups that were highlighted. MNgage is also a volunteer reporting network similar to CoCoRaHS that began in the 1960’s. The Cooperative Observer Program was first established by Congress in 1890 when the United States Weather Bureau was established, which was the name used previously for the National Weather Service. 

Boulay said, “There are less coop observers in the state, only about 175. In addition to precipitation, many of them have a temperature gauge as well.” 

The standardized affordable and accurate rain gauge that most of the observers use, which the public can purchase as well, was designed decades ago by Product Alternatives, Inc., located in Fergus Falls, Minn. Their Stratus Rain Gauge is the official rain gauge of NOAA and National Weather Service observers. The gauge measures accurately to 1/100th of an inch and can measure up to 11 inches of precipitation.

“It can be used to measure snow too,” said Boulay. “Just don’t forget to take out the inner cylinder and funnel or they will crack.”

Boulay encourages anyone who is interested in being a volunteer observer to check out CoCoRaHS. He says, “Anyone interested just has to go to cocorahs.org and click on the button for ‘Join CoCoRaHS’ to get started.” 

 

Jarrod Schoenecker is the president of the Twin Cities Meteorological Society. Reach him at TwPresident@TCMetSoc.org. For more on the Twin Cities Meteorological Society, visit TCMetSoc.org. They are a group of weather enthusiasts and meteorologists that has been in existence since 1948.