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Minnesota weather: Cooler temps ahead, maybe some rain?
Temps are shifting towards colder temperatures this week and maybe, finally, some rain. Cody Matz has your forecast.
(FOX 9) - It has been a phenomenally dry stretch of weather for the Twin Cities. Now nearly three dozen consecutive days without measurable rainfall. Add another couple of weeks if you include daily rainfall totals less then 0.03 inches of an inch. That means that we haven't had any substantial moisture for much of the metro since midway through the Minnesota State Fair in late August.
This has led to an expansion of drought across the state and the region over the last several weeks, but the overall impact could have been much worse if our year hadn't been so incredibly wet prior to September. But Minnesotans have plenty of company.
In fact, much of the eastern two thirds of the country have been equally as dry. Areas from Dallas to Kansas City... St Louis to Memphis, Nashville, Atlanta, and even New York City are all in the same boat... With zero measurable precipitation so far this month. This map shows rainfall totals nationwide so far in the month of October with all cities listed, and many more, experiencing not a drop of rain through the first three weeks of the month. A drastic contrast to parts of Florida and the Front Range of the Rockies. More than a foot of rain in parts of central Florida, thanks to Milton. And then some record-breaking rains in parts of New Mexico and Colorado, but that's as far as the moisture goes. It's been SO dry in fact, that this may end up being one of the driest months on record for the U.S...
This is from the Alaska state climatologist showing just how little rain fell nationwide in the driest month on record, which was also October but back in 1952. The U.S. that month averaged just a little over a half inch of rain on average. The climatologist named Brian Brettschneider goes on to say that the U.S. has averaged a little more this year so far, with .57" on average... Well on our way to second driest month on record for the U.S.
Expanding to climate districts and not just rainfall buckets, it's even more glaringly obvious. The brown shades far out way the green shades to show that much of the U.S. is below average for rainfall this month... With some climate districts in record low territory (the number 132), which includes both southeastern and west central Minnesota.
This has led to an ever-expanding wildfire and brushfire risk with burn bans in place for parts of the state... Mostly in southern Minnesota. Now, while many counties are still allowing campfires (or backyard bonfires), there are many cities that are starting to ban them including Burnsville & Bloomington just to name a couple. So before enjoying some backyard fire time with family and friends, be sure to check your city and counties website for more information. And always completely extinguish the flames and the coals before leaving the remnants unattended.