Weather

August 2015 Saint Cloud Weather Summary


Relatively Comfortable Summer Eases to a Cooler, Drier Finish

Saint Cloud Weather Summary for August 2015 and Summer 2015

Issued: Tuesday, September 1, 2015 7:40 AM

After finishing the fourth wettest May through July in St. Cloud records, the rainfall became more spotty across Minnesota in August. At the St. Cloud Airport, there were 3.10 inches of rain. This was 0.69 inch less than the August average. Several places in central Minnesota had more rain in August (Morris 5.91 inches, Kimball 5.90 inches, Santiago 5.84 inches, Long Prairie 4.83 inches, Alexandria 4.82 inches, Rice 4.59 inches) thanks to locally heavy rains from thunderstorms.

Still, the St. Cloud totals for meteorological summer (June 1-August 31) is 14.94 inches, 3.73 inches above average, and the 20th highest summer rainfall total out of 130 summers on record. For the growing season (April 1-August 31), the St. Cloud Airport has picked up 22.64 inches, 5.85 inches above average, and the 12th highest April through August total on record. Rainfall is still more than six and a half inches lower than last year. By the end of the year, 2014 was St. Cloud's 4th wettest on record.

There were no days with an inch of rain in St. Cloud, so the total remains at 9 days, tied for the 9th most on record.

However, some occasional periods of drier air from Canada cooled off conditions from July. The St. Cloud Airport had an average August temperature of 67.1°F (78.0°F high, 56.2°F low), less than a degree cooler than the average August temperature. St. Cloud did record its second 90-degree high of 2015, tied with 2009 and 6 other summers for the fewest days with a 90-degree high. However, the forecast through the end of the week leading to Labor Day shows some potential for 90-degree highs.

While humidity has dominated at times in August, there were only 8 lows with a low of 60 degrees or higher. Last August was much more humid with 20 days of such mild lows, tied for the 5th most on record.

There was some severe weather in central Minnesota early in the month. On August 6, four tornadoes touched down, three in Kandiyohi County, including one in Hawick. This was also one of the locally heavy rainstorms with 4.20 inches of Kimball's 5.90 inch total falling that evening). On August 12, northwest and northern Minnesota had storms producing large hail at sizes as large as softball sized in a narrow swath from Roseau to Crow Wing County. So far this summer, there have been 24 tornado reports in Minnesota. That's slightly less than the annual average.

The average meteorological summer temperature was 68.0°F, only 0.1°F above the average temperature.

 

    August 2015 Statistics

Temperatures (°F)
August 2015
Normal
August 2015 Average High Temperature (°F)
78.0
79.6
August 2015 Average Low Temperature (°F)
56.2
56.0
August 2015 Mean Temperature for August (°F)
67.1
67.8
August Extremes
Temperature(°F)
Date
Warmest High Temperature for August 2015 (°F)
91
August 14
Coldest High Temperature for August 2015 (°F)
62
August 18
Warmest Low Temperature for August 2015 (°F)
68
August 13
Coldest Low Temperature for August 2015 (°F)
42
August 26
Record Temperatures in August 2015
Temperature(°F)
Date
Old Record
No Record Temperatures Set
Temperature Thresholds
Number of Days
Normal
August 2015 Days with High Temperatures >= 100°F
0
0.06

2015 Total Days with High Temperature of At Least 100°F

Last 100°F High: June 7, 2011 (101°F)

0
0.51
August 2015 Days with High Temperatures >= 90°F
1
3.13
2015 Total Days with High Temperature of At Least 90°F
2
11.43
August 2015 Days with Low Temperatures >= 70°F
0
0.68
2015 Total Days with Days with Low Temperatures >= 70°F
0
3.00
August 2015 Days with Low Temperatures >= 75°F
0
0.07

2015 Total Days with Days with Low Temperatures >= 75°F

Last 75°F Low: July 4, 2012 (76°F)

0
0.47
Precipitation (in)
August 2015
Normal
August 2015 Rainfall (in)
3.10
3.79
August Extremes
Precipitation (in)
Date
Most Daily Precipitation in August 2015
0.84
August 6
Record Precipitation in August 2015
Precipitation (in)
Date
Old Record
No records set
Precipitation Thresholds
Number of Days
Normal
August 2015 Days with Measurable (>= 0.01 inch) Precipitation
10
9.0
August 2015 Days with >= 0.10 inch Precipitation
5
5.6
August 2015 Days with >= 0.25 inch Precipitation
4
3.9
August 2015 Days with >= 0.50 inch Precipitation
3
2.4
August 2015 Days with >= 1.00 inch Precipitation
0
1.0

Summer (June 1-August 31) 2015 Statistics

Temperatures (°F)
Summer 2015
Normal
Summer 2015 Average High Temperature (°F)
79.3
79.8
Summer 2015 Average Low Temperature (°F)
56.7
56.0
Summer 2015 Mean Temperature for Summer (°F)
68.0
67.9
Temperature Thresholds
Number of Days
Normal
Summer 2015 Days with High Temperatures >= 100°F
0
0.51
Summer 2015 Days with High Temperatures >= 90°F
2
11.27
Warm Season 2015 Days with High Temperatures >= 90°F
2
11.44
Summer 2015 Days with Low Temperatures >= 70°F
0
2.81
Warm Season 2015 Days with Low Temperatures >= 70°F
0
3.02
Summer 2015 Days with Low Temperatures >= 75°F
0
0.47

 

Link to Table of Top 10 Warmest/Coldest Summers
Precipitation (in)
Summer 2015
Normal
Summer 2015 Rainfall (in)
14.94 (+3.67 from average)
11.27
2015 Growing Season (April 1- August 31) Rainfall (in)
22.64 (+6.45 from average)
16.19
2015 Total Precipitation (in) (January 1 - August 31)
23.61 (+4.03 from average)
19.58
Precipitation Thresholds
Number of Days
Normal
Summer 2015 Days with Measurable (>= 0.01 inch) Precipitation
33
29.1
Total 2015 Days with Measurable (>= 0.01 inch) Precipitation
76
68.2
(Annual Normal: 97.3)
Summer 2015 Days with >= 0.10 inch Precipitation
19
18.9
Total 2015 Days with >= 0.10 inch Precipitation
34
38.1
(Annual Normal: 52.9)
Summer 2015 Days with >= 0.25 inch Precipitation
16
13.1
Total 2015 Days with >= 0.25 inch Precipitation
25
24.0
(Annual Normal: 32.1)
Summer 2015 Days with >= 0.50 inch Precipitation
10
7.8
Total 2015 Days with >= 0.50 inch Precipitation
16
12.7
(Annual Normal: 16.8)
Summer 2015 Days with >= 1.00 inch Precipitation
7
3.1
Total 2015 Days with >= 1.00 inch Precipitation
9
4.1
(Annual Normal: 5.5)

 

Historic temperature data provided courtesy of the Saint Cloud National Weather Service Office, and NOAA/NWS
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Send comments to: raweisman@stcloudstate.edu