2014's Minnesota Weather Extremes: A Look Back
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- With 2014 starting to wind down and a whole new set of Top 10 Weather Days just around the corner, it's a perfect time to take a trip down memory lane.
The past year was full of weather extremes. On the cusp of the change from fall to winter, Kylie Bearse sat down with the rest of the WCCO weather team to look back at all Minnesota has endured this past year.
The year 2014 started off with a very cold bang -- it was brutally cold. January, February and March were from 5 to 10 degrees below average, and the Twin Cities spent 53 nights at or below zero.
Furthermore, the first six months of 2014 were all colder than normal. What we lacked in temperature, we made up for in precipitation.
"I felt like I was shoveling every single day. I was refilling the snowblower time after time after time," meteorologist Chris Shaffer said.
By July, our totals were more than 10 inches above average, which led to record flooding in June.
"It was flooding around Mall of America, Highway 77, Highway 280," meteorologist Mike Augustyniak said. "It was really just bad luck and a signal of the stagnant weather pattern."
Finally, August provided a welcome change in the weather pattern. Temperatures were above average, but not too hot.
"There's that heat and humidity typical to a Minnesota summer, and it just never arrived," meteorologist Matt Brickman said.
Only twice did we hit 90 degrees, the lowest total in 21 years -- which made for happy State Fair visitors.
"I think people are a lot happier enjoying fried food when it's in the 70s as opposed to the 90s," Brickman said.
The wet spring and mild summer brought vibrant colors come fall, great for enjoying no fewer than four Top 10 Weather Days in September, though perhaps a little lacking in excitement for metorologists.
"We've had very dry conditions, above average temperatures," meteorologist Lauren Casey said, laughing. "That's boring."
Winter weather is right around the corner, and the average time for first measurable snow comes right about now.
"Over the last four years we've seen our first measurable snow in the month of November," Casey said.
Sure enough, some areas saw flakes this week, and more are expected to experience them next week. Brickman said that it's possible parts of southern Minnesota along the Interstate 90 corridor could see 4 or 5 inches on Monday.
Even though we haven't had any yet, the #Top10WxDay winter season has started. We'll keep you posted on those 10 best days as they arrive.