2020 Ties As 13th Warmest Year On Record In Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently released their 2020 climate report stating that last year was the fifth warmest year for the U.S.

So where in there did Minnesota stand?

Last year tied with three other years as the 13th warmest year on record for the state of Minnesota. Nine of the top 15 warmest years in Minnesota state history have all occurred in the last 20 years. To some, the warmer weather has its pros.

"I like this weather. We like seeing all the people out. You don't get to see a lot of people out when it's freezing," said Jennifer Graff.

Others wonder about the warmer weather.

"It's almost worrying because January is usually so freezing. I would expect it to be almost negative around now," said AJ Priessler.

And to many, it's is all about the sunshine.

"The biggest thing for me and I think it is the same for a lot of people is sunshine. I think everyone likes to see the sunshine and blue skies. I don't mind if it's really cold as long as the sky is blue, we are in high pressure and the sun is out," said Gary O'hagan.

The state of Minnesota saw above-average days with sunshine for the year 2020, including November, which is usually the state's cloudiest month.

This also helped with the record warmth from the first week of November, and the warm weather streak continues to roll on.

Jan. 8 through Jan. 22 is usually the coldest time of year in Minnesota, but Wednesday's temperatures reached 40 degrees, well above average.