Why you’ve been living in Omaha for 17 months

Hey Minnesota. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in Des Moines, Iowa, or Omaha, Neb.?

Now you know.

We've just lived through 17 straight months of warmer than average temperatures in the Twin Cities.

That's a record for the longest run of consecutive warmer than average months in the Twin Cities, according to climate experts at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources State Climatology Office.

The last time the Twin Cities recorded a below-normal monthly temperature was August 2015. This appears to be the longest above-average monthly temperature streak of any kind on record in the Twin Cities, though it is worth noting that the "normals" refresh every 10 years, and procedures for calculating them have changed over time. As of this writing, only five months out of the last 32 (back to June 2014) have been below normal in the Twin Cities. The second longest streak on record was 16 months, from June 2011 through September 12.

More like Omaha 

Just how warm have we been the past 17 months? Tally up temperatures since August 2015, and the Twin Cities is running about 4.6 degrees warmer than average. That's more like living in the climate of Des Moines, Omaha or Lincoln, Neb., than the Twin Cities.

Here's a look at the average annual temperatures for some selected cities.

• Twin Cities 46.2 degrees

• Des Moines 50.8 degrees

• Lincoln 50.8 degrees

• Omaha 51.1 degrees

For years climate experts have predicted Minnesota's climate would shift to a climate closer to that of Des Moines, Omaha, or even Kansas City. This recent string of warm months fits with longer term trends for warming, and particularly for the trend of milder winters across the Upper Midwest.

So the past 17 months have felt more like living in Omaha or Lincoln, Nebraska than the Twin Cities.

Go Huskers?