Election perfection, warmest start to November on record
Finally.
The grueling marathon we lovingly call Election 2016 is finally here. We don't do politics in this space but I think it's safe to say many of us are relieved it's finally arrived. Election nightmares? Stress eating? One more opportunity to play kingmaker with your favorite electoral college map. Then it's time to hole up in your election bunker tonight and watch the returns trickle in.
Voting weather today in Minnesota is about as good as it gets. Sunny blue skies and temps still running a good 10 degrees warmer than average rule Minnesota today. No weather excuses for low turnout today. The election day forecast from the Sioux Falls NWS pretty much sums up weather for our region today.
High pressure dominates the central USA today. A front brings rain showers from the Ohio Valley southwest through Missouri to Texas and along the Gulf Coast. The most concentrated rain today falls in Ohio. Cleveland could get .50" by late tonight.
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The high pressure cell sprawls across the Upper Midwest all week long. Another sun-soaked week in November lies ahead. Temps still run a good 10 to 15 degrees warmer than average.
Warmest first week of November on record
Our 7 month boating season continues. This has been the warmest start to 'Nonmember' on record in the Twin Cities and the Upper Midwest. Here's more from the Twin Cities NWS.
The average temperature for the first seven days of November 2016 is the warmest on record for the Twin Cities with a value of 55 degrees.
The second images shows the extent of the warmth with the Northern Plains being the center.
The last image shows pretty high chances for above normal temperatures to continue through the next two weeks.
Latest freeze and longest growing season on record
We continue to blow records out of the still unfrozen Minnesota waters with unprecedented fall warmth. Some perspective in the latest Twin Cities freeze on record from the Minnesota Climate Working Group.
Historically, roughly 90% of autumn seasons produce a 32 degree F reading in the Twin Cities by October 28, and the first freezing reading has occurred in November just seven times (now eight, assuming it happens some time during November 2016). Although the autumn season has warmed rapidly in the last several decades, all of the other November first-freeze dates were in the 20th and 19th centuries, with the most recent one on November 6, 1958.
Hints of winter around Thanksgiving?
The upper air maps are starting to suggest a colder northwest flow as we approach Thanksgiving. We'll see, the models have gone back and forth on this the past few runs. We like consistency in the Weather Lab.
NOAA's GFS has cranked out colder temps, and some hint of snow in toward the end of the 16-day runs lately.
Stay tuned.