Spring Has Sprung? Weather Records in MN

Pipestone County Star 06-06-2013

Wait, someone told me spring was coming.  Better yet, isn’t summer supposed to start in three weeks?  So where is the nice warm weather – so far all we’ve seen is copious amounts of rain.  Don’t get me wrong, we’re not complaining.  For the second month in a row, we’ve succeeded in getting above average rainfall, and not so far above that we are flooding.  That’s great news for the soil, but there’s very little growth out there for us gardeners who like to see our seeds burst forth with enthusiasm.  Everything simply seems to be waiting for the sun, kind of like me.

So what are some of the weather records set in the State of Minnesota?

Warmest temp: On both July 29, 1917 and July 6, 1936, the ambient air temperature reached 114 degrees Fahrenheit in Beardsley and Moorhead, respectively.   Talk about warm!  And trust me, kids, it’s NOT a dry heat!

Coldest Temp:  In a state that, in my opinion, is usually always cold, Minnesota set their record in 1996 at the Embarrass Tower of -60 degrees Fahrenheit.  Wow.  And that doesn’t include the windchill.

Most Rainfall: St. Francis had 53.52 inches of precipitation in 1991 – that’s more than one inch a week!  The statewide record (averaged with everyone) was set in 1977 and we had 33.92 (average) inches that year.

Least Rainfall: Our driest place in the state was Ortonville in 1976.  The poor town only had 6.37 inches of precipitation over the entire year.  The longest dry spell in our state’s history was recorded in Marshall, lasting 79 days, from November 9, 1943 until January 26, 1944.

Snow records: The earliest recorded trace of snow happened in Duluth  on August 31, 1949.  Since that was only a trace, International Falls has the record for the earliest measurable snowfall - .3 inches on September 14, 1964.  The latest recorded snowfall happened on June 4, 1935 in Mizpah.  As for snow amounts, Lake County gets the honors of having the largest amount of snow within 24 hours – 36 inches on January 7, 1994.  Collegeville got 66 inches of snow during the month of March, 1965, giving it the record for most snow within a 31 day period.  And the deepest snow ever recorded in Minnesota? Meadowlands was measured at 88 inches on February 21, 1962.

Tornadoes: The most tornadoes the state had in one month was in June of 2010.  71 tornadoes ripped through the state during those four weeks.  In fact, 48 of them hit on June 17^th.  During the course of the entire year of 2010, we actually had 110 tornadoes.

Largest Hailstone:  Our marvelous neighbor, Edgerton, has the dubious record (tied with Reading) of the state’s largest hailstone: 6 inches in diameter on July 4, 1968.

On that note, hopefully by the time this is published, the sun will be out and my little seeds will be basking in the warmth of a good late spring day.  It will be nice to see growth! 

Have a great spring and enjoy whatever you have planned for the summer!

PAFL Update:  Pipestone Area Friends of the Library is looking for members – anyone who is a friend to Meinders Library is welcome to join!  The Friends group works hard to promote the library, raise money for projects, and organize their yearly book sale, in addition to the HUGE amount of support they provide throughout the year.  Call us for the date of the next meeting!

Book Club Reminder: The book club takes a break during the summer months and they are currently on hiatus until September.  Their meetings are the fourth Tuesday of the month and over the summer, they read what they want to and report back to the club on those tomes during their first meeting.  If you enjoy reading, you should try it out!  Everyone is welcome!!

If you have questions or have a book you’d like to reserve or renew, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at (507) 825-6714.  The hours for Meinders Library are Monday through Thursday from 10 AM – 8 PM, and Friday from 10 AM to 5 PM and Saturday from 10AM to Noon.  Summer hours are in effect from Memorial Day weekend until Labor Day Weekend.  Meinders Community Library is located at 1401 7^th Street SW, on the south side of the high school.