Recovery
What a difference a year makes.
Last year at this time we we're kicking off a drought in much of Minnesota. This year farmers are behind on planting in soggy fields.
It's funny how nature has a way of catching up and evening things out over time.
La Crosse (34.06") and Rochester (33.20") has seen the wettest August to April period on record.
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West Central to Northwest Minnesota endured record April snows of more than 3 feet.
The recovery of Minnesota lakes and rivers has been nothing short of remarkable. Lake Minnetonka's water level is up over a foot, about 15 inches since August.
Even gigantic Lake Superior is up 6" in April and up over 10" since last August. The world's largest freshwater lake by surface area is back, but still stands 8" below average.
The U.S. Drought Monitor now shows all of Minnesota is drought free, and the Minnesota crop report finds farmers struggling to get crops planted in muddy fields this spring.
We'd like to schedule some nice weather for the weekend, but it looks wet again. The overall upper air pattern is chaotic, but keeps an stubborn upper low centered over Hudson Bay, dealing Minnesota alternating 2 to 3 day periods of sunny cool weather followed by cool wet systems spinning through.
I'm looking for a change in the overall hemispheric long wave pattern which would signal a change to a warmer and drier weather regime. When I see it, I'll be the one shouting in joy from the rooftop of the Huttner Weather Lab.
PH