First half of June was 6th warmest of any month on record
Not only was it the warmest first half of June on record (by far), but it was also the sixth warmest first half of ANY month in the Twin Cities dating back to 1872. (FOX 9)
(FOX 9) - The first couple weeks of June have been anything but "typical". Sure, we expect it to be warm this time of year, but 2021 has taken it to another level.
A stretch of 9 straight days with temperatures above 90 degrees and almost no rain has led to one of the fastest drought expansions in recent memory. And now, the first half of June 2021 will join an elite list: it’s now the sixth warmest start to ANY month on record in the Twin Cities.
The average temperature for the first 15 days of the month was just over 80 degrees. This is just the eight=h time since 1872 that any month has started this warm. All seven other times have either occurred in July or August. The most recent was July of 2012. All other years were before 1948. If you count the months that this could potentially occur, it’s generally during the summer months of June, July and August. Well, we’ve had roughly 450 of these months since our records began in the 1800s, which means this was the sixth warmest start out of roughly 450 possibilities. That just shows how rare this type of event really is.
The heat and lack of rain the last three weeks has REALLY dried the Upper Midwest. Much of MN's soil moisture now in the 10th percentile or less when compared to average for this time of year. (FOX 9)
Because of this warmth, rain was almost none existent. While some areas managed or storm or two, many locations haven’t seen a drop of water in more than three weeks and now much of the state will likely be in a moderate or severe drought by the end of the week. Dry stretches like this aren’t super uncommon, but they rarely accompany such persistent hot conditions, which has accelerated the drying trend statewide and what could lead to substantial crop and vegetation loss if widespread rain doesn’t show up soon.
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