More record early ice outs, wintry for now
Another windy March day yields more records for earliest ice out. Today Medicine Lake in the west metro joins more than a dozen lakes that have posted records for earliest ice out this year.
Many bays on big brawling Lake Minnetonka are wide open, but the main lake clings to a stubborn sheet of sketchy ice Wednesday afternoon.
Lakes continue to go ice-free more than a month ahead of average. Colder temps and lighter winds should slow ice out reports the next few days.
Long-term trend
Create a More Connected Minnesota
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Remember the colder winters and late ice outs from three to four years ago? We're still getting the occasional late ice out year. But the overall trend is that as Minnesota's climate warms, ice out has moved one to two weeks earlier in spring than 50 years ago in Minnesota. Here's the data for Lake Osakis in central Minnesota.
Wintry winds
The powerful cold front that spawned Monday's unprecedented early March Minnesota tornado outbreak brings wintry winds now. Temperatures run a few degrees cooler than average overall the next few days.
Welcome to the February we never had.
Sunday snow shifting south?
The latest model trends suggest Sunday's snow system is aiming further south. The latest thinking favors the Iowa and I-90 corridor for potential accumulation. To be continued.
Wildflower superbloom
I've seen amazing displays of spring wildflower blooms during my nine years covering weather in the desert southwest. It's amazing to see the desert floor carpeted with vibrant hues of gold and purple. The key to amazing spring blooms? Timely rains that fall during the late fall and early winter, giving plants time to flourish before the spring bloom.
Great news from California
If you survived the flooding unscathed, this is great news for 39 million people in a water thirsty state.
Early spring: Climate change connection?
What's the climate change connection to the remarkably early spring in much of the USA?
USA off to a warm start in 2017
I'm actually enjoying our refreshingly cool breezes today. But the year as a whole is starting very warm again across the USA.
Climate Cast: Deep NOAA budget cuts ahead?
Capital Weather Gang's Jason Samenow and his colleagues at the Washington Post broke the story of proposed deep cuts to NOAA. I talk with Jason, and Penn State professor and U.S. Navy retired Rear Adm. Davit Titley about how that may affect all of us Thursday at 3:30 p.m. and 6:20 p.m. on Climate Cast on MPR News stations.
I hope you can join us.