We have been pampered and spoiled again this fall. According to Praedictix meteorologist and data wizard D.J. Kayser, this is the warmest start to autumn on record in the Twin Cities and much of Minnesota, by nearly 2 degrees F. It's also the 14th-driest start to autumn since the late 1800s.
We just experienced a "drought sandwich." We started spring with severe drought and ended the year with severe drought in northern and western Minnesota, with the seventh-wettest summer on record sandwiched in between. Crazy.
Winter often sends out a few belated waves of numbing air by late November, and 2024 will be no different. Not exactly arctic, but model guidance suggests 30s to near 40F from late next week into Thanksgiving. After a quiet, drama-free weekend we should see a soaking rain next Tuesday, but the potential for slush has diminished. I do see a risk of slushy lawns after Thanksgiving, but no blockbuster snowstorms.
Winter is coming (no kidding, Paul) but we just salvaged another amazing autumn. Drought excluded.
