Is Climate Change To Blame For This Year's Record Spike In Spring Storms?
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The start to severe weather season has taken its toll across Minnesota.
There were 15 tornadoes in May. The average is just over four.
In fact, there haven't been as many severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings issued at this point in the year since at least the 1980s.
There's hardly a corner of the state that's remained warning-free all of 2022.
Part of the reason is because detection technology is better now, so experts are simply aware of more weather, but still, WCCO director of meteorology Mike Augustyniak says there has been an unusual intensity to the weather.
"What we have seen occur this month is more typical of what we'd see in July and August, when it's a lot hotter and more humid," he said. "All these high-end tornados and huge hailstones have been happening at a time of year when we've had a few hot and muggy days, but it's not been super humid."
Is the increase in severe weather related to climate change then?
Augustyniak says you can't tie it to that for certain, but generally, we know that as average temperatures increase, the atmosphere is capable of holding more water vapor.
"Sometimes when we're just close to the tipping point, adding just a little more heat, moisture, instability, can push things over the edge and turn a nothing-burger into a big deal," Augustyniak said.
When asked if May's weather can predict the intensity of severe weather this summer, Augustyniak said generally the answer is no.
"Predicting severe weather more than a few days to a week in advance is nearly impossible, but we do know when it's cooler it's less likely we get severe weather," he said. "The forecast, not only for the next week or two but for the month of June, on average is for a cooler-than-average month."
Our team of Next Weather meteorologists welcomes all your questions about the severe weather we've had. Get in touch with them on social media or through the WCCO Twitter and Facebook pages.