Unprecedented warmth; Records smashed; 1st early Jan 60s ever in MN!
64 degrees in Minneota, MN Thursday!
63 degrees just north of Canby, MN Thursday
61 degrees in Marshall, Madison & Canby Thursday
1st 60 degree readings ever recorded in MN in the 1st week of January
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53 degrees - record high at St. Cloud Thursday
52 degrees in Grand Rapids!
Dozens of record highs at Minnesota locations Thursday
115+ new high temperature records in the USA Thursday
98% of the USA above freezing Thursday, January 5th
What month is this anyway?
Wow. I have never seen a day like this in January. Not only did we record the 1st 60s ever for the first week of January in Minnesota, we smashed dozens of records.
This is from the MN Climate Working Group and NWS today.
"There has never been a 60 degree temperature recorded during the first week of January in Minnesota's modern climate record. The warmest temperature ever recorded in Minnesota during the first week of January is 59 degrees, occurring on January 7, 2003 in Amboy, MN. The warmest temperature ever recorded in Minnesota on January 5 is 57 degrees, recorded at Crookston in 1902. Reaching 60 degrees ANY time ANYWHERE in January is quite rare, occurring in only 10 years of the 120 year modern record. The all-time record high temperature for any day in January is 69 degrees, occurring January 24, 1981 in Montevideo."
Many locations not only broke records Thursday, but smashed them by more than 10 degrees! Ironically high clouds kept the Twin Cities at 45 degrees, 2 degrees shy of the forecast record high of 47.
More from my MPR colleage and UM professor Dr. Mark Seeley in his Weathertalk blog.
Topic: Warm and record-setting start to January
"After starting New Years Day cold, icy, and snowy, the first week of January has brought temperatures that range from 8 to 12 degrees F warmer than normal on average, with record-setting values on the 4th and 5th. For January 4th many western and southern communities reported new record high temperatures including: 47 F at Redwood Falls; 49 F at Browns Valley; 50 F at Luverne; 51 F at Pipestone and Montevideo; 52 F at Madison, Milan, and Canby; and 54 degrees F at Marshall and Minnesota. The last reading is a new all-time state record high for January 4th, breaking the old record of 50 F at Worthington in 1930.
Even more remarkable were the temperatures measured on Thursday, January 5th. It was clearly the warmest January 5th in state history as scores of observers reported new record high temperatures and the former state record high, 57 degrees F at Crookston in 1902, was shattered by a reading of 64 degrees F at Minneota reached at 2:30 pm. Some of the new records included: 63 F at Marshall and Canby; 61 F at Madison and Montevideo; 59 F at Morris and Redwood Falls; 58 F at Granite Falls; 57 F at Pipestone, Wheaton, Willmar, Olivia, Tracy, and Luverne; 55 F at Fargo, Rochester, and Fergus Falls, and 54 at Moorhead. Even as far north as St Vincent (Kittson County) and Baudette (Lake of the Woods County) hit 50 degrees F. For some observers the temperatures were not only new records for January 6th but near all-time highs for any day in January. The state record high for January, 69 degrees F occurred at Montevideo on the 24th in 1981.
Despite all of the January warmth, Embarrass, MN did report the lowest temperature in the 48 contiguous states on the 3rd with -19 degrees F. They had warmed nearly 60 degrees F hitting 40 F by the 5th.
Topic: Cold in Florida
In contrast to Minnesota's warm January, Florida residents were turning on their furnaces this week as some new record low temperatures were set on the mornings of January 3rd and 4th. In central and northern Florida counties some overnight lows in the upper teens to low 20s F were reported. As far south as Punta Gorda it was 29 degrees F. Temperatures are supposed to rebound into the 70s F this weekend."
Here is a partial list of the incredible high temperatures Thursday (many are records) from the Twin Cities NWS. Complete list here.
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
435 PM CST THU JAN 5 2012
...HIGHEST REPORTED TEMPERATURES TODAY...THURSDAY JANUARY 5TH 2012...
...MINNESOTA...
...YELLOW MEDICINE COUNTY...
1 NNE CANBY (1191 FT)(OTHER-MTR) 236 PM JAN 5 63 F
HANLEY FALLS (1068 FT)(MNDOT) 145 PM JAN 5 61 F
4 NW ECHO (1049 FT)(DDMET) 235 PM JAN 5 60 F
...STEARNS COUNTY...
3 ESE BELGRADE (1249 FT)(MNDOT) 221 PM JAN 5 56 F
4 ESE AVON (1200 FT)(APRSWXNET) 258 PM JAN 5 55 F
2 WSW PAYNESVILLE (1181 FT)(OTHER-MTR) 252 PM JAN 5 55 F
2 SE SAUK CENTRE (1241 FT)(OTHER-MTR) 235 PM JAN 5 55 F
1 SSE SARTELL (1099 FT)(APRSWXNET) 326 PM JAN 5 55 F
...SHERBURNE COUNTY...
SAINT CLOUD ASOS (1023 FT)(ASOS) 253 PM JAN 5 52 F
...REDWOOD COUNTY...
1 SW MORTON (840 FT)(MNDOT) 200 PM JAN 5 60 F
REDWOOD FALLS ASOS (1023 FT)(ASOS) 153 PM JAN 5 59 F
...RAMSEY COUNTY...
1 S MOUNDS VIEW (904 FT)(AWS) 329 PM JAN 5 48 F
SAINT PAUL ASOS (685 FT)(ASOS) 253 PM JAN 5 46 F
3 W WOODBURY (1000 FT)(APRSWXNET) 317 PM JAN 5 46 F
2 NNE SAINT PAUL (835 FT)(MNDOT) 325 PM JAN 5 46 F
1 WSW ARDEN HILLS (910 FT)(AWS) 319 PM JAN 5 46 F
1 NW NORTH SAINT PAUL (981 FT)(APRSWXNET) 325 PM JAN 5 46 F
...MILLE LACS COUNTY...
8 N MILACA (1195 FT)(MNDOT) 349 PM JAN 5 51 F
1 SW ONAMIA (1273 FT)(APRSWXNET) 328 PM JAN 5 51 F
1 WSW PRINCETON (977 FT)(OTHER-MTR) 313 PM JAN 5 50 F
...MCLEOD COUNTY...
HUTCHINSON (1059 FT)(OTHER-MTR) 213 PM JAN 5 55 F
...LAC QUI PARLE COUNTY...
5 SSW MARIETTA (1169 FT)(MNDOT) 228 PM JAN 5 62 F
MADISON (1115 FT)(IEM) 357 PM JAN 5 61 F
2 SSE MADISON (1082 FT)(OTHER-MTR) 334 PM JAN 5 61 F
...KANDIYOHI COUNTY...
3 WSW PRINSBURG (3504 FT)(APRSWXNET) 157 PM JAN 5 60 F
WILLMAR (OTHER-MTR) 215 PM JAN 5 57 F
...HENNEPIN COUNTY...
1 SE MAPLE GROVE (926 FT)(MNDOT) 310 PM JAN 5 49 F
2 E MINNEAPOLIS (875 FT)(AWS) 319 PM JAN 5 48 F
4 ESE RICHFIELD (833 FT)(MNDOT) 256 PM JAN 5 47 F
2 SSE OSSEO (899 FT)(AWS) 319 PM JAN 5 47 F
1 W MAPLE GROVE (937 FT)(AWS) 324 PM JAN 5 47 F
1 WSW ROBBINSDALE (2854 FT)(APRSWXNET) 322 PM JAN 5 46 F
1 NW PLYMOUTH (982 FT)(APRSWXNET) 253 PM JAN 5 46 F
MINNEAPOLIS ASOS (836 FT)(ASOS) 353 PM JAN 5 45 F
FLYING CLOUD ASOS (905 FT)(ASOS) 353 PM JAN 5 45 F
CRYSTAL ASOS (869 FT)(ASOS) 353 PM JAN 5 45 F
...DAKOTA COUNTY...
2 WNW CANNON FALLS (837 FT)(APRSWXNET) 320 PM JAN 5 50 F
2 ESE FARMINGTON (891 FT)(AWS) 324 PM JAN 5 49 F
2 NE LAKEVILLE (984 FT)(APRSWXNET) 323 PM JAN 5 48 F
2 WSW APPLE VALLEY (1021 FT)(AWS) 339 PM JAN 5 47 F
1 ESE FARMINGTON (900 FT)(AWS) 324 PM JAN 5 47 F
SOUTH SAINT PAUL (820 FT)(OTHER-MTR) 335 PM JAN 5 46 F
SOUTH SAINT PAUL (783 FT)(AWS) 259 PM JAN 5 46 F
3 WSW INVER GROVE HEIGHT (984 FT)(APRSWXNET) 310 PM JAN 5 46 F
2 SW EAGAN (964 FT)(APRSWXNET) 310 PM JAN 5 46 F
...CARVER COUNTY...
3 S CARVER (845 FT)(RAWS) 249 PM JAN 5 47 F
2 NE LESTER PRAIRIE (938 FT)(MNDOT) 348 PM JAN 5 47 F
1 SE CHASKA (916 FT)(AWS) 244 PM JAN 5 46 F
...ANOKA COUNTY...
6 WNW FOREST LAKE (899 FT)(RAWS) 306 PM JAN 5 48 F
2 W LINO LAKES (907 FT)(AWS) 359 PM JAN 5 48 F
1 SW FRIDLEY (2824 FT)(APRSWXNET) 325 PM JAN 5 48 F
1 E COON RAPIDS (910 FT)(APRSWXNET) 333 PM JAN 5 48 F
2 SE ANOKA (872 FT)(APRSWXNET) 338 PM JAN 5 47 F
...WISCONSIN...
...ST. CROIX COUNTY...
5 SE BALDWIN (1150 FT)(AWS) 345 PM JAN 5 43 F
1 N BALDWIN (1138 FT)(APRSWXNET) 341 PM JAN 5 43 F
Warm USA; not just here:
TWC's Jim Cantore elaborates.
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