Weather

August and Summer 2023 Saint Cloud Weather Summary

 

August Minnesota Rainfall
Comparison of US Drought Monitor July 25 vs August 29
Minnesota DNR Streamflow

Major August Rain Can't Keep St. Cloud Out of Driest May-August Period

2nd Driest May-August, Driest Since 1929

Saint Cloud Weather Summary for August 2023 and Summer 2023

Saint Cloud got considerably more rain during August than during the previous three months. That was especially thanks to a mid-August series of thunderstorms that produced 2.28 inches and up to 5 inches in southern Stearns County (see 24 hour totals from Minnesota August 13-14 Rainfall). That and a few other rainfalls produced 4.50 inches of August rain, 0.50 inch above average. Still, that wasn't nearly enough to offset the severe rain shortfall since the beginning of May. Over those 4 months, St. Cloud Regional Airport had only 7.87 inches, 7.14 inches below average. That's the 2nd lowest May-August precipitation (see table at bottom of this page). The only drier May through August was in 1929 with only 7.63 inches. Over the past 90 days, nearly all of Minnesota had below average rainfall with several places in central and eastern Minnesota (brown) more than 4 inches behind and a few places in southeastern Minnesota (light red) more than 8 inches short. This has reduced the river and stream flow considerably with much of central and northern Minnesota having streams in the lowest 10 percent of heights (red on the Minnesota DNR Streamflow). This includes the 0.38 ft on the Sauk River at Veterans Memorial Park in Waite Park (0.38 feet, 4th lowest on record) and the 3.89 feet on the Mississippi River at Riverside Park in St. Cloud (6th lowest on record). Both of these readings were achieved despite the snowiest cold season in St. Cloud records. The combined liquid from the snow and rainfall in January through April was 9.97 inches, 4.36 inches above average, the 4th highest Jan-Apr precipitation total.

Still, the August heavier rainfall (2-5 inches in most of central and southern Minnesota) got the severe drought classification (red on the July 25 US Drought Monitor; see Comparison of US Drought Monitor July 25 vs August 29) out of the St. Cloud area, although the areas to our northeast and in south central and southeastern Minnesota are larger than they were before.

For the year so far, St. Cloud has picked up 17.84 inches of precipitation, 2.78 inches below average.

The drought was also intensified by warmer than average temperatures. The St. Cloud August average temperature was 70.6 degrees, 2.9 degrees above average. For the entire meteorological summer (June 1-August 31), St. Cloud's temperature average was 70.8 degrees, 3.0 degrees above average. That ranks as the 17th warmest summer of the 143 years in St. Cloud temperature weather. It was not quite as warm as 2021, which cracked the 10 warmest summers or 2011, which was the 11th warmest.

While there were only 4 days with a high of 90 Degrees or warmer in August, it included the intense heat of August 21-23, when temperatures were in the upper 90's and lower 100's in much of central and southern Minnesota (see Heat and Extreme Humidity August 21-23). That heat came with high dew points, upper 70's to near 80, reminiscent of the heat wave in 2011 and in July of 2001, so heat indices ranged from 105 to the middle 110's during the worst of it. In addition, September added another heat wave during September 1-5, during which the Twin Cities added 5 more days over 90 and during which much of central and southern Minnesota saw temperatures in the upper 90's to lower 100's. Duluth and Brainerd set all time September record temperatures.

St. Cloud added 2 more 90-degree highs, running the annual total to 22 days. That's nearly double the annual average of 11.4 days, and is the 13th most on record. The only year since the 1930's in the top 10 is 1988 with 33 90-degree days.

 

 

August Minnesota Rainfall
Comparison of US Drought Monitor July 25 vs August 29
Minnesota DNR Streamflow

    August 2023 Statistics

Temperatures (°F)
August 2023
Normal
August 2023 Average High Temperature (°F)
82.2
79.2
August 2023 Average Low Temperature (°F)
59.0
56.3
August 2023 Mean Temperature for August (°F)
70.6
67.7
August Extremes
Temperature(°F)
Date
Warmest High Temperature for August 2023 (°F)
97 (tied record; see below)
August 22
Coldest High Temperature for August 2023 (°F)
70
August 26
Warmest Low Temperature for August 2023 (°F)
69
August 22
Coldest Low Temperature for August 2023 (°F)
48
August 18, 27
Record Temperatures in August 2023
Temperature(°F)
Date
Old Record
Daily Record Warm High
97 (tie)
August 22
97 set in 1971
Temperature Thresholds
Number of Days
Normal
August 2023 Days with High Temperatures >= 100°F
0
0.06

2023 Total Days with High Temperature of At Least 100°F

0
0.51
August 2023 Days with High Temperatures >= 90°F
4
3.13
2023 Total Days with High Temperature of At Least 90°F
22 (thru 9/4)
11.43
August 2023 Days with Low Temperatures >= 70°F
0
0.68
2023 Total Days with Days with Low Temperatures >= 70°F
1
3.00
August 2023 Days with Low Temperatures >= 75°F
0
0.07

2023 Total Days with Days with Low Temperatures >= 75°F

Last 75°F Low: July 4, 2012 (76°F)

0
0.47
Precipitation (in)
August 2023
Normal
August 2023 Rainfall (in)
4.50
4.00
August Extremes
Precipitation (in)
Date
Most Daily Precipitation in August 2023
1.17 inch
August 14
Record Precipitation in August 2023
Precipitation (in)
Date
Old Record
No precipitation records set
Precipitation Thresholds
Number of Days
Normal
August 2023 Days with Measurable (>= 0.01 inch) Precipitation
8
9.0
August 2023 Days with >= 0.10 inch Precipitation
7
5.6
August 2023 Days with >= 0.25 inch Precipitation
6
3.9
August 2023 Days with >= 0.50 inch Precipitation
4
2.4
August 2023 Days with >= 1.00 inch Precipitation
2
1.0
August Minnesota Rainfall
Comparison of US Drought Monitor July 25 vs August 29
Minnesota DNR Streamflow

Summer (June 1-August 31) 2023 Statistics

Temperatures (°F)
Summer 2023
Normal
Summer 2023 Average High Temperature (°F)
83.6
79.3
Summer 2023 Average Low Temperature (°F)
58.1
56.7
Summer 2023 Mean Temperature for Summer (°F)
70.8 (17th warmest)
68.0
Temperature Thresholds
Number of Days
Normal
Summer 2023 Days with High Temperatures >= 100°F
0
0.51
Summer 2023 Days with High Temperatures >= 90°F
20
11.27
Summer 2023 Days with Low Temperatures >= 70°F
1
2.81

 

Link to Table of Top 10 Warmest/Coldest Summers
Precipitation (in)
Summer 2023
Normal
Summer 2023 (June 1-August 31) Rainfall (in)
7.00 (-4.35 from average)
11.35
2023 May-August (April 1- August 31) Rainfall (in)
7.87 (-7.14 from average; 2nd driest)
15.01
2023 January-April Total Precipitation (in)
9.97 (+4.36 inches, 4th highest, most since 2001)
5.61
2023 Total Precipitation (in) (January 1 - August 31)
17.84 (-2.78 from average)
20.62
Precipitation Thresholds
Number of Days
Normal
Summer 2023 Days with Measurable (>= 0.01 inch) Precipitation
27
29.1
Total 2023 Days with Measurable (>= 0.01 inch) Precipitation
78
68.2
(Annual Normal: 97.3)
Summer 2023 Days with >= 0.10 inch Precipitation
15
18.9
Total 2023 Days with >= 0.10 inch Precipitation
43
38.1
(Annual Normal: 52.9)
Summer 2023 Days with >= 0.25 inch Precipitation
10
13.1
Total 2023 Days with >= 0.25 inch Precipitation
24
24.0
(Annual Normal: 32.1)
Summer 2023 Days with >= 0.50 inch Precipitation
5
7.8
Total 2023 Days with >= 0.50 inch Precipitation
12
12.7
(Annual Normal: 16.8)
Summer 2023 Days with >= 1.00 inch Precipitation
1
3.1
Total 2023 Days with >= 1.00 inch Precipitation
3
4.1
(Annual Normal: 5.5)

 

August Minnesota Rainfall
Comparison of US Drought Monitor July 25 vs August 29
Minnesota DNR Streamflow

 

May-August Lowest Rainfall Totals St. Cloud, MN (in)

Average=15.01 inch

Rank Rainfall (in) Year
1 7.63 1929
2 7.87 2023
3 8.04 1934
4 8.28 1910
5 8.29 1976
6 8.53 1922
7 8.77 1931
8 9.05 1950
9 9.24 1893
10 9.39 2021

 

Saint Cloud Hottest Annual Temperatures (1988-2023)
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
2023
97°F
August 22
1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

August Minnesota Rainfall
Comparison of US Drought Monitor July 25 vs August 29
Minnesota DNR Streamflow

 Updated: September 5, 2023

Historic temperature data provided courtesy of the Saint Cloud National Weather Service Office, and NOAA/NWS
National Weather Service logo NOAA logo

Send comments to: raweisman@stcloudstate.edu