To: MPR's Morning Edition From: Mark Seeley, Univ. of Minnesota Extension, Dept of Soil, Water, and Climate Subject: Minnesota WeatherTalk for Friday, December 28, 2007 HEADLINES: -Jet Streaming podcast this week -A music contest -Preliminary December climate summary -Major weather events of 2007 -Weekly Weather Potpourri -Snowiest Januarys -Almanac for December 28th -Historical arctic cold and snow -Quartering winds -Outlook Topic: On this week's "Jet Streaming" podcast This week's podcast, available at the MPR web site, includes a discussion with Dr. R. J. Trapp of Purdue University about a study which shows climate change may lead to more severe storms in places near sources of water vapor, such as coastal regions. In addition we have a very interesting conversation with photographer Jim Bradenburg about the special nature of winter photographer. A new web site of the week is also featured. You can listen at the following web sites....... http://minnesota.publicradio.org/radio/programs/morning_edition/ or http://minnesota.publicradio.org/radio/podcasts/jet_streaming/ Topic: A music contest for your consideration.... If you are an MPR "Morning Edition" listener, you may have noticed that we've been trying out some new music to introduce our conversations about the weather on Friday mornings. For many years we played Mark O'Connor's fiddle tune, "Soppin' the Gravy," but we feel it's time for something new. We are experimenting with new tunes. If you like any of the new ones, or you prefer the old one, we'd like to know. You could even compose something yourself and play it into our answering machine if you're so inspired. We are looking for a short musical introduction with a lively start and a strong finish that is in tune with Mark's personality. If you have any ideas, call the Morning Edition comment line at 651-290-1080. If your piece of music is selected as the new theme for Friday's WeatherTalk segment, Mark will send you a signed copy of his book "Minnesota Weather Almanac." Topic: Preliminary December Climate Summary Although the end of the month is a few days off, a preliminary summary for December shows that statewide it was a colder than normal month, ranking 26th coldest historically. Most locations report monthly average temperatures that range from 3 to 6 degrees colder than normal. Extremes for the month were 40 degrees F at Canby on the 20th and -32 degrees F at Embarrass on the 9th. Minnesota reported the coldest temperature in the 48 contiguous states on 9 days during the month. Though not record-setting, December precipitation was above normal in nearly all locations. Snowfall was especially abundant and for many it was the snowiest December since 2000. Some preliminary monthly snowfall totals include: 17.5" at MSP Airport 20.5" at Chanhassen 20" at Crookston 34.5" at Duluth 20.9" at International Falls 12.4" at Rochester 18.3" at Fargo-Moorhead 22.2" at La Crosse/La Crescent 13.6" at St Cloud Wind gusts of over 40-50 mph were reported on December 13th and again on the 23rd, but other than that it was less windy in December than either November or October. Topic: Major Weather Headlines of 2007 Perhaps the most significant weather and climate story in Minnesota this year was the unprecedented duel disasters that occurred in August. The USDA declared 24 Minnesota Counties to be in severe drought and eligible for federal assistance, and FEMA declared 7 southeastern Minnesota Counties to be flood disasters and eligible for federal assistance as well. In nearly two hundred years of Minnesota weather history, such extremes have never occurred in the same month. This may be a sign of the future, as researchers have suggested that hydrologic variability will increase as a result of climate change. One of the other climate headlines in 2007 that captured worldwide attention was the analysis from the National Ice Center concerning the extent of Arctic sea ice. The end of summer satellite assessment of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean revealed the smallest amount of ice since monitoring began in 1979. This was shocking to many and perhaps is tied to an accelerated pace of climate change at high latitudes. Other weather headlines included: A fairly active North Atlantic storm season, with 6 hurricanes, and a total of 15 named storms. One named storm (Andrea) was subtropical in nature, while another named storm (Tropical Storm Olga) was a rare December occurrence. Al Gore and the IPCC climate scientists won the Nobel Peace Prize for their message about environmental stewardship and the need to act internationally. The unprecedented wind storm that hit the Pacific Northwest (Oregon, Washington and British Columbia) over December 1-3, 2007. Hurricane force winds, gusting from 120 to 130 mph caused widespread damage. The central low pressure of this storm was hurricane-like as well at just 28.11 inches on the barometer. A massive ice storm hit the southern plains over December 7-8, 2007 causing widespread power outages, road closures, and accidents. Missouri, Oklahoma, Illinois, and Kansas were the worst hit. Parts of Australia continued to be in the grip of a multi-year drought, while a very intense drought settled into the southeastern USA, especially affecting the agriculture and water resources of Georgia, Alabama, Florida, and North Carolina. Topic: Weekly Weather Potpourri..... Parts of the Great Lakes region were paralyzed by a heavy snow storm last weekend, just ahead of the Christmas holiday. Winona, MN reported 11 inches of snowfall on the 23rd, while La Crosse, WI reported nearly 15 inches. In fact, many communities along the I90 route through Wisconsin reported over a foot of snow and several roads and highways were closed. North shore areas along Lake Superior also saw heavy snowfall. Winds gusted to over 40 mph in many places and in SW Michigan a number of traffic accidents were caused by glaze on road surfaces. Parts of Australia experienced a heat wave for the Christmas holiday. Perth Airport reached a high of 105 degrees F on Christmas Day. The next day, Boxing Day, the temperature reached 112 degrees F, setting a new all-time high for the month of December. Many locations reported record-setting highs on all three days, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. The heat and reduced humidity were ideal for bushfires to develop, and Emergency Services worked extra hours to contain them. Fortunately temperatures fell by over 20 degrees F for December 27th. Central and East Java were hit with extremely heavy rainfall on December 26th. The rain caused landslides that killed an estimated 80 people and left over 25,000 homeless. In addition a major bridge was washed away and fifty people were missing. Further to the southwest, Tropical Cyclone Melanie was strengthening off the coast of Port Hedland, Australia. But it was expected to remain out to sea. MPR listener question: Now that it appears we may have an old fashioned snowy winter in Minnesota, I was wondering what has been the snowiest January in history? Answer: Not sure whether to answer this in a local or statewide context, so I will do both. In the Twin Cities the snowiest January occurred in 1982, with a total of 46.4 inches, mostly due to two very heavy snowfalls (17.1 inches on the 20th and 17.2 inches on the 22nd). On a statewide basis 1969 probably brought the snowiest ever January. Three locations in northern Minnesota surpassed 50 inches for the month: Cook had 50.5 inches, Virginia has 51.1 inches, and Duluth reported 58.5 inches. Twin Cities Almanac for December 28th: The average MSP high temperature for this date is 25 degrees F (plus or minus 11 degrees F standard deviation), while the average low is 9 degrees F (plus or minus 12 degrees F standard deviation). MSP Local Records for December 28th: MSP weather records for this date include: highest daily maximum temperature of 45 degrees F in 1896 (Pioneer Era shows 46 degrees F in 1829); lowest daily maximum temperature of -12 degrees F in 1917; lowest daily minimum temperature of -23 degrees F in 1917 (Pioneer Era shows -27 degrees F in 1880); highest daily minimum temperature of 34 F in 2006. Record rainfall for this date is 1.02 inches in 2006. Record snowfall is 12.0 inches also in 1982. Average dew point for December 28th is 13 degrees F, with a maximum of 39 F in 1984 and a minimum of -26 degrees F in 1976. All-time state records for December 28th: The state record high temperature for this date is 59 degrees F at Winona (Winona County) in 1984. The state record low temperature for this date is -51 degrees F at Big Falls (Koochiching County) in 1933. The state record precipitation for this date is 2.44 inches at Bricelyn (Faribault County) in 1982. Record snowfall for this date is 17.0 inches at St Francis (Anoka County) and Santiago (Sherburne County), in 1982. From "Minnesota Weather Almanac":(available in bookstores or write the author) Two extreme historical events associated with this date include record-setting arctic cold, and very wet and abundant snowfall that produced heavy snowloads on buildings. The great cold wave of 1933 brought arctic-like temperatures to much of northern Minnesota. Lows reported on the morning of December 28th include a state record -51 degrees F at Big Fork, -43 degrees F at Roseau, -42 degrees F at Pine River Dam, -41 degrees F at Argyle and Hallock, and -40 degrees F at Pokegama Dam, Baudette, and Itasca State Park. This cold wave was amplified by the deep snow cover prevalent in northern counties, as December snowfalls had set new records in many areas (since broken in more modern times). Baudette and Bemidji reported 20 inches of snow that month, Grand Rapids 23 inches, Big Falls 25 inches, and Mizpah 28 inches. Fortunately daytime temperatures moderated into the 30s F by the 30th and 31st. A slow moving storm system on December 27-28, 1982 brought over a foot of snow to much of the state and shut down MSP International Airport for a period of time. The storm started out before 6:00 pm on the 27th and lasted for a period of 20 hours. Southeastern counties received some freezing rain, putting up to an inch of glaze ice on power lines and trees. There were many power outages there. Across parts of southwestern Minnesota winds howled up to over 70s miles per hour and visibility went to zero, closing many roads and causing snowdrifts of 6-10 feet. St Francis and Santiago reported 17 inches of snowfall from the storm, Gaylord reported 16.9 inches, MSP Airport reported 16.5 inches, Farmington 16.0 inches, Worthington and Young America 13.0 inches, and Waseca, Buffalo, Pipestone, Marshall, and Fairmont all reported over a foot. Many areas reported snow depths from 15 to 20 inches by month's end, and thousands of citizens used roof rakes to clear the heavy snowloads off the tops of houses and office buildings. Words of the Week: quartering winds The common directional terms for wind are tailwind, headwind, and crosswind, but more often than not, the wind is blowing from out of a quarterly direction, that is from somewhere between the four cardinal points on a compass (N, S, E, W). Headwinds help pilots take off and land in shorter distances, but crosswinds can make for tricky landings and takeoffs. In many athletic competitions a tailwind is desirable as it helps thrown or kicked objects travel farther or helps runners go faster. With strong headwinds a football kicker knows he will have to kick the ball that much harder to make a field goal. In a few other competitions a quarterly wind is more desirable. For example Olympic discus throwers prefer to compete in a quartering wind because of the added lift supplied to the object they are throwing. This will enhance the aerodynamics of the discuss and make it travel farther. Outlook: Near seasonal temperatures over the weekend with a good deal of cloudiness and a chance for light snow both Friday night and Sunday night. Colder weather for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, then moderating temperatures by Thursday next week.