Weather

August and Summer 2022 Saint Cloud Weather Summary

 

Warm August, But St. Cloud and North Misses Extreme Heat, Dryness

Saint Cloud Weather Summary for August 2022 and Summer 2022

 

It has been a brutally hot summer for much of the Western and Southern US with extreme dryness in California, Oregon, and the Plains from Nebraska southward. While Minnesota has sampled the heat at times, most notably during the outbreak of 100-degree temperatures in June, the Gopher State has often been just on the southern edge of Canadian air masses, allowing frequent breaks. There also have been outbreaks of thunderstorms in parts of Minnesota, especially the north and central areas, that have produced spotty heavy rainfall, but also have missed pockets.

Overall, St. Cloud has been one of the cooler and wetter places in central Minnesota. While St. Cloud has registered a warmer than average August (68.8 degrees, 1.1 degree above average) and meteorological summer, June 1-August 31, (69.9 degrees, 1.9 degrees above average), it has not seen the number of hot days just a bit further south in central Minnesota (see table below). On the other hand, St. Cloud again registered above average rainfall in August (4.49 inches, +0.49 inch), as did much of eastern and and average summer rainfall (12.13 inches, 0.78 inch above average), despite an often dry July. Much of eastern and northern Minnesota shared in the August rainfall with large areas over 5 inches of rain (red on the NWS August Minnesota rainfall chart). However, the Minnesota River Valley, the Twin Cities, and west central Minnesota are still well behind on rainfall during the June-August period (brown areas on the NWS meteorological summer Minnesota rainfall departure from average map). Only a small area of central Minnesota, including St. Cloud, Rice, and most of Morrison County have this 90-day rain surplus.

In St. Cloud, the growing season (April 1-August 31) rainfall has totaled 23.00 inches, including a pair of 3-inch rain storms in May and June. That is 5.38 inches above average and the 11th wettest April through August in St. Cloud records. However, just to the south, a swath of Minnesota from the Twin Cities to southwestern Minnesota (yellow on the middle chart of Minnesota DNR August 30 growing season rainfall percentage). Note that Redwood Falls is also one of the gaps in the blue, so they are more than 9 inches behind in growing season rainfall.

St. Cloud added only 1 90-degree high in August and has only 7 such days so far this warm season. That is many fewer than the 17 90-degree highs at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and 20 days, 1 on August 31, at Redwood Falls. Both cities had summer average temperatures at least 3 degrees warmer than St. Cloud. Still, St. Cloud has seen two highs of at least 97 degrees, including the first 100-degree in 11 years.

Summer (June 1-Aug 31) Statistics Comparison
Place Average Temperature (°F) 90-degree highs 100-degree highs 70-degree lows April-August Rainfall (in)
Brainerd 68.9 8 1 3 15.52 (-0.79)
St. Cloud 69.9 (+1.9) 7 1 4 23.00 (+5.38)
Minneapolis-St. Paul Int'l Airport 73.9 17 1 19 15.80 (-4.00)
Redwood Falls 72.8 20 3 9 9.23 (-9.09)

Looking ahead to September, St. Cloud has frequently needed a prolonged growing season with a late frost to make up for either cold or wet conditions requiring a late planting in the spring. However, this has often occurred in recent years. 7 of the past 8 Septembers has seen an average September temperature of at least 60 degrees (September average is 59.5 degrees). The median date for St. Cloud's first frost is August 26. There have been only 5 days with September frost in the past 8 years, occurring only in 3 years (from fall of 2013 on).

At least the early part of September this year features a taste of summer warmth during most of the first 5 days.

 

 

    August 2022 Statistics

Temperatures (°F)
August 2022
Normal
August 2022 Average High Temperature (°F)
79.9
79.2
August 2022 Average Low Temperature (°F)
57.6
56.3
August 2022 Mean Temperature for August (°F)
68.8
67.7
August Extremes
Temperature(°F)
Date
Warmest High Temperature for August 2022 (°F)
94
August 2
Coldest High Temperature for August 2022 (°F)
71
August 13
Warmest Low Temperature for August 2022 (°F)
66
August 28
Coldest Low Temperature for August 2022 (°F)
50
August 14
Record Temperatures in August 2022
Temperature(°F)
Date
Old Record
No record temperatures set
Temperature Thresholds
Number of Days
Normal
August 2022 Days with High Temperatures >= 100°F
1
0.06

2022 Total Days with High Temperature of At Least 100°F

1
0.51
August 2022 Days with High Temperatures >= 90°F
1
3.13
2022 Total Days with High Temperature of At Least 90°F
7
11.43
August 2022 Days with Low Temperatures >= 70°F
0
0.68
2022 Total Days with Days with Low Temperatures >= 70°F
4
3.00
August 2022 Days with Low Temperatures >= 75°F
0
0.07

2022 Total Days with Days with Low Temperatures >= 75°F

Last 75°F Low: July 4, 2012 (76°F)

0
0.47
Precipitation (in)
August 2022
Normal
August 2022 Rainfall (in)
4.49
4.00
August Extremes
Precipitation (in)
Date
Most Daily Precipitation in August 2022
1.24 inch
August 12
Record Precipitation in August 2022
Precipitation (in)
Date
Old Record
No precipitation records set
Precipitation Thresholds
Number of Days
Normal
August 2022 Days with Measurable (>= 0.01 inch) Precipitation
12
9.0
August 2022 Days with >= 0.10 inch Precipitation
7
5.6
August 2022 Days with >= 0.25 inch Precipitation
6
3.9
August 2022 Days with >= 0.50 inch Precipitation
4
2.4
August 2022 Days with >= 1.00 inch Precipitation
2
1.0

Summer (June 1-August 31) 2022 Statistics

Temperatures (°F)
Summer 2022
Normal
Summer 2022 Average High Temperature (°F)
81.3
79.3
Summer 2022 Average Low Temperature (°F)
58.4
56.7
Summer 2022 Mean Temperature for Summer (°F)
69.9 (37th warmest)
68.0
Temperature Thresholds
Number of Days
Normal
Summer 2022 Days with High Temperatures >= 100°F
1
0.51
Summer 2022 Days with High Temperatures >= 90°F
7
11.27
Summer 2022 Days with Low Temperatures >= 70°F
4
2.81

 

Link to Table of Top 10 Warmest/Coldest Summers
Precipitation (in)
Summer 2022
Normal
Summer 2022 (June 1-August 31) Rainfall (in)
12.13 (+0.78 from average)
11.35
2022 Growing Season (April 1- August 31) Rainfall (in)
23.00 (+5.38 from average; 11th wettest)
17.62
2022 Total Precipitation (in) (January 1 - August 31)
25.88 (+5.26 from average; 13th wettest)
20.62
Precipitation Thresholds
Number of Days
Normal
Summer 2022 Days with Measurable (>= 0.01 inch) Precipitation
32
29.1
Total 2022 Days with Measurable (>= 0.01 inch) Precipitation
85 (11th highest)
68.2
(Annual Normal: 97.3)
Summer 2022 Days with >= 0.10 inch Precipitation
17
18.9
Total 2022 Days with >= 0.10 inch Precipitation
42
38.1
(Annual Normal: 52.9)
Summer 2022 Days with >= 0.25 inch Precipitation
17
13.1
Total 2022 Days with >= 0.25 inch Precipitation
27
24.0
(Annual Normal: 32.1)
Summer 2022 Days with >= 0.50 inch Precipitation
9
7.8
Total 2022 Days with >= 0.50 inch Precipitation
17
12.7
(Annual Normal: 16.8)
Summer 2022 Days with >= 1.00 inch Precipitation
3
3.1
Total 2022 Days with >= 1.00 inch Precipitation
7
4.1
(Annual Normal: 5.5)

 

Saint Cloud Hottest Annual Temperatures (1988-2022)
Year
Hottest High (°F)
Date
Days with High >= 97°F
1988
102°F
June 24, July 31
13
(7 days with >= 100°F)
1989
98°F
August 4
1
1990
101°F
July 3
1
1991
95°F
July 18
0
1992
92°F
June 12, August 9
0
1993
90°F
August 10
0
1994
95°F
June 14
0
1995
97°F
June 17, July 13
2
1996
96°F
June 28
0
1997
95°F
June 23
0
1998
94°F
May 18
0
1999
98°F
July 30
2
2000
94°F
June 9
0
2001
98°F
August 6, 7
4
2002
95°F
June 30, July 6
0
2003
96°F
August 24
0
2004
96°F
June 30
0
2005
98°F
June 23
1
2006
101°F
July 31
5
2007
96°F
August 10
0
2008
91°F
June 6, 11, August 18
0
2009
92°F
May 20
0
2010
94°F
May 24
0
2011
101°F
June 7
1
2012
94°F
May 18
0
2013
95°F
May 14, Aug 26
0
2014
94°F
July 21
0
2015
91°F
August 14
0
2016
93°F
June 25, July 22
0
2017
92°F
June 10, July 17
0
2018
97°F
June 29
1
2019
92°F
July 15
0
2020
96°F
June 8
0
2021
98°F
June 5
2
2022
101°F
June 14
2

 Updated: September 2, 2022

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