Meteorological Fall Was Tenth Warmest On Record in St. Cloud

(KNSI) – Even with an uncharacteristically cool start to September that saw one of the most pleasant state fairs ever, weather-wise, St. Cloud still baked this fall.

Meteorologist Tyler Hasenstein with the National Weather Service Twin Cities office says it wound up just sneaking into the top ten. “We had a mean average temperature, which is kind of the mark of the months as a whole of 50.1 degrees, which is tied for 10th all-time warmest.”

Temps were at their toastiest in late September and early October. In some cases, reaching the low 90s on the thermometer during the sizzling stretch. November also set a couple of record highs, with the latest coming on Sunday, the 23rd. Hasenstein compares the average of 50.1 degrees Fahrenheit to a typical year. “Put those all together, and the entirety of the fall ended up running about 4.5 to about five degrees above normal.”

Hasenstein says this year follows a general warming trend for fall that dates back 30 years. Since the 90s, central Minnesota has endured summerlike conditions for longer, with temperatures rising about 0.2 degrees per year on average between September and November. Over three decades, that adds up, meaning changes in when fall colors peak and in the harvest schedule. Another factor, warm falls are typical of La Niña years.

Hasenstein says the temps were only half of the story. “Because of the dryness, because of the warmth, we had a lot of fire weather concerns.”

September and October were both about 1.5 inches below normal for precipitation. November began dry, but the snows of the last week brought some welcome moisture to the area. Add in the typical fall winds, and the state turned into a tinder box. Red flag warnings led to brush burning bans and other precautions.

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