Wrapping up Minnesota's warmest winter on record
In keeping with this wimpy winter, it will end on a mild note
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Updated 9 a.m.
It’s the last day of February and meteorological winter — both were the warmest ever recorded in the Twin Cities and statewide. More records will fall this weekend.
An anomalously warm end to February, winter
After a brief shot of cold air, we’re warming back up this last day of February and meteorological winter. Temperatures will be nearly 15 degrees above normal. Look for sun south and a mix of clouds and sun north.
Temperatures will be several degrees warmer with more sun on Friday.
The weekend will bring record-setting high temperatures and possibly our first 70 of the season Sunday in the Twin Cities. If we do reach 70, it would be the earliest recorded. The current title holder is March 5, 2000.
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A cold front and storm system will produce potential thunder late Sunday with rain and snow possible into Monday.
Temperatures will be cooler but still above normal behind that system early next week. The six to 10-day temperature and precipitation outlook calls for above-normal temperatures still and potentially above-normal precipitation.
The warmest February and winter on record:
February will go down as the warmest on record and it wasn’t even close.
Most top spots for monthly average temperature are separated by a few tenths of a degree or less, but this year we blew 1998 out of the water by about 1.3 degrees; 1998 was also a strong El Niño year.
February was the warmest statewide as well.
Of course, the entire winter was warm as well. It too, goes down as the warmest winter on record and it also wasn’t really close.
We beat the top spot by nearly a degree, a record that had stood ahead of all other years by more than 2 degrees for nearly 150 years.
