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December 2013 Saint Cloud Weather Summary


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(December 2013 Summary)

Precipitation

Temperature

Snowfall

Persistently Snowy and Cold December, But It Has Been Worse (2000)

The constant flow of arctic air masses into the Northern Plains produced a combination of one of St. Cloud's 10 coldest, wettest, snowiest, and most frequently snowy Decembers, but set few cold records.

Tied for 7th Coldest December (Estimated)

The St. Cloud December average temperature was 6.4°F, ranking in 7th place among the coldest Decembers in St. Cloud records. This would be 9.7°F colder than average, but still more than two and a half degrees short of December 2000, the third coldest on record. The coldest December remains 1983, which had a below zero average temperature and was three and a half degrees colder than the runner-up.

There were 6 days with a high of 0°F or colder, 2 more than the average for the entire winter, more than any December since that bitterly cold 1983 (7 days). This is also more than any complete cold season since 1996-1997 and we could past that year and the year before with the expected cold temperatures the rest of the week. This is after not having a sub-zero high between January 23, 2011 and January 21 of this year.

There were 18 days with a low of 0°F or colder in December 2013, the most December sub-zero lows since December 2008 (19 days). However, the temperature dipped below -20°F on December 24 (low of -25°F). That was the first low of -20°F or colder since February 10, 2011. The last 7 days of the month ended up with 4 lows of -20 or colder, the most in December since 2008, and nearly the average for the entire cold season (5.4 days).

The -25°F low was the coldest low seen since January 21, 2011, when the low was -29°F. St. Cloud hasn't seen a -30°F or colder low since January 16, 2009 (-36°F, the second of back-to-back lows in the minus 30s) and has been without a -40°F or colder low since February 2, 1996, the day of the cold record for the state of Minnesota (-60°F in Tower).

The reason for the recent absence of really cold temperatures? Our streak of milder than average winters that has dominated the late 1990's into the 2000's. Even though last winter, 2006-2007, and 2007-2008 were colder than the average, the last 15 winters have averaged the mildest of any in St. Cloud weather history. So, even though we aren't setting any records, it is colder than it has been in recent years.

7th Snowiest With Most Frequent Snowfall

It was no accident that the arctic air plunges began right after the first major snowfall of the year on December 3-4. That snow cover causes most of the sun's energy to be reflected to space, instead of heating up the air near the ground. That snow pack continued to deepen for most of the month, producing a December total snowfall of 20.4 inches, nearly ten inches above average and the 7th snowiest December on record, just behind 2010. The snow mostly came in small packages with 19 days of measurable snowfall. That ties December 1950, not only for the December record, but the month for the most frequent snowfall in St. Cloud records. January 1975 had the next most frequent snowfall with 18 days.

Longest Streak of Snowy Days in St. Cloud Records

The 19 days of measurable snow produced a streak of 8 straight days with measurable snowfall on December 19-26. The only other time in St. Cloud records when there were 8 straight days of snow was January 4-11, 1994.

6th Wettest December

Adding the melted equivalent from the snowfall and a little bit of rain from early in the month, St. Cloud has totaled 1.77 inches of meltwater. That total ranks as the 6th wettest December in St. Cloud records. The wettest December was 2010 when 2.56 inches fell. Amazingly, December 2010 "only" ranks as the 6th snowiest December (21.0 inches), since it was mild enough for a large part of it to fall as rain.

Prolonged Cold Not A Record Either

St. Cloud may be on a streak of consecutive days without an above zero high, since the temperature hasn't been higher than zero since 3 AM on Sunday morning. This string could stretch out until Thursday or Friday giving us as many as 4 straight days with a high of zero or colder. St. Cloud's record for consecutive days below zero is 8 days from January 28 through February 4, 1899. This streak was followed by a 6-day streak beginning on February 6, so 14 of the 15 days in late January and early February of 1899 had sub-zero temperatures. The last 5-day streak of below zero temperatures was January 30 through February 3, 1996. There were 4 day streaks in 1997 (Jan. 25-28) and 2005 (Jan. 14-17).

Earlier in the month, St. Cloud had a streak of 8 straight days with a low of zero or colder (December 5-12). This is far short of the record, however. There were 37 consecutive days with a low of zero or colder from January 17 through February 22 of 1936. More recently, there were 20 straight days with a low of at least zero from January 18 through February 6 of 1996, including 6 straight mornings with a low of -30°F or colder from January 30 through February 4.

 

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(December 2013 Summary)

Precipitation

Temperature

Snowfall

    December 2013 Statistics

Temperatures (°F)
December 2013
Normal
December Average High Temperature (°F)
15.3
24.7
December Average Low Temperature (°F)
-2.8
7.1
Mean Temperature for December (°F)
6.2$
15.9

$6th Coldest December on Record

   

December Extremes

Temperature(°F)
Date
Warmest High Temperature for December 2013 (°F)
36
December 28
Coldest High Temperature for December 2013 (°F)
29
December 3
Warmest Low Temperature for December 2013 (°F)
38
December 3
Coldest Low Temperature for December 2013 (°F)
-25
December 24
Record Temperatures in December 2013
Temperature(°F)
Date
Old Record
No Daily Temperature Records Set
Temperature Thresholds
Number of Days
Normal
December 2013 Days with High Temperatures <= 32°F
21
23.5
December 2013 Days with High Temperatures <= 0°F
6
1.0
December 2013 Days with Low Temperatures <= 32°F
31
25.7
December 2013 Days with Low Temperatures <= 0°F
18
9.9
December 2013 Days with Low Temperatures <= -20°F
4
0.9
Melted Precipitation (in)
December 2013
Normal
December 2013 Melted Precipitation (in)
1.77&
0.82
&6th Wettest December on Record
Precipitation Thresholds
Number of Days
Normal
December 2013 Days with Measurable (>= 0.01 inch) Precipitation
18
6.6
December 2013 Days with >= 0.10 inch Precipitation
6
2.0
December 2013 Days with >= 0.25 inch Precipitation
2
0.7
December 2013 Days with >= 0.50 inch Precipitation
1
0.1
December 2013 Days with >= 1.00 inch Precipitation
0
0.0
December Extremes
Precipitation (in)
Date
Most Daily Precipitation in December 2013
0.53 inch (set record; see below)
December 4
Record Precipitation in December 2013
Precipitation (in)
Date
Old Record
Daily Record Melted Precipitation
0.53 inch
December 4
0.43 inch in 1960
Snowfall (in)
December 2013
Normal
December 2013 Saint Cloud Airport Snowfall (in)
20.4$
10.5
2013-2014 Seasonal Snowfall (1 Oct 2013 - 31 Dec 2013)
24.0
20.1
$7th Snowiest December on Record
Snowfall Thresholds
Number of Days
Normal
December 2013 Days with Measurable (>= 0.1 inch) Snowfall
19#
8.3
December 2013 Days with >= 1.0 inch Snowfall
7
3.2
December 2013 Days with >= 2.0 inch Snowfall
3
1.6
December 2013 Days with >= 5.0 inch Snowfall
1
0.2
#Tied with December 1950 for most December days with measurable snowfall    
December Extremes
Snowfall (in)
Date
Most Daily Snowfall in December 2013
5.0 (set daily record; see below)
December 4
Record Snowfall in December 2013
Snowfall (in)
Date
Old Record
Daily Record Snowfall
5.0 inches
December 4
3.5 inches in 1977

 

 

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(December 2013 Summary)

Precipitation

Temperature

Snowfall

.

When It Snowed, It Snowed A Lot; When It Rained, Not So Much
2013 Annual Saint Cloud Weather Summary

Second Snowiest Calendar Year in 2013

2013 will probably be remember more for its cool and snowy spells with the later nearly setting records. The total annual snowfall in 2013, spreading across parts of two snow seasons, was 84.3 inches, ranking second only to the 85.2 inches from 1936. The heavy snow included a late season snow bonanza in the late winter and spring and frequent snow in December. April set a record for St. Cloud snowfall with 24.4 inches, beating the previous April record by nearly 9 inches. The February through April snowfall produced a total of 57.8 inches, the second highest late season total in St. Cloud records. February, March, and December each placed among the 10 highest totals for their respective months. And, St. Cloud barely missed a record-setting early May snowstorm that plastered southeastern Minnesota, interior Wisconsin, and parts of Nebraska and South Dakota.

There were 7 daily records of snowfall broken and two tied, including the heaviest snows on April 9-12 (9.7 inches in St. Cloud) and April 18-19, when 11.1 inches fell in St. Cloud.

2013 Cooler Temperatures (Rare Since 1997)

The snow dominated much of the weather news for the 2012-2013 winter, the spring, and the beginning of the new winter. While the snow was slow to leave, temperatures remained very cold. December 2012 and January 2013 were actually a bit warmer than normal, but with the long-term snow cover slow to leave (4th latest date for continuous snow cover to melt: April 7) and several reinforcing snows in April (140 days with at least an inch of snow in 2012-2013-- 4th highest winter total), April ended up being the second coolest April on record and the spring (March-May) ended tying for 5th coolest. The persistent snow cover meant a very late warm-up. The first 50-degree high and the first 60-degree high didn't occur until April 26, tying for the latest first occurrence of these thresholds, and following up some of the earliest ones every record from 2012 (first 50-degree high: January 5; first 60-degree high: March 11).

The slow warm-up also produced a delayed start of the fishing season. The late ice-out including new records for lateness in lakes with long records such as Lake Minnewaska, Green Lake, and Lake Mille Lacs. The cool conditions also led to a late start to the growing season since the persistent cool and wet weather continued into May. Despite this, the corn harvest appears to be similar to 2012, with some regional exceptions. However, the cool weather broke quite suddenly on May 14 as St. Cloud soared to its hottest temperature of the year (95°F) with some parts of the state breaking 100 degrees.

There were also very cool readings in December, the 7th coolest on record. There was also an usual cool part of the summer with 28 straight cooler than average days from July 20 through August 18. This was followed by a hot period to end August with 4 straight days of a 90-degree high, including 6 late August temperature records and the 3rd warmest State Fair period on record.

Overall, the average St. Cloud temperature for 2013 was 40.7°F, 2.2°F cooler than the 1981-2010 average and the 30th coolest of 133 years on record. Note that 2008, 2009, and 2013 stand out as being much cooler than the bulk of the past 16 years since 1997, so the mild winters are showing up in the annual temperatures.

2013 Slight Above Average Precipitation, But With A Late Summer Gap

The frequent snowfall during the cooler part of the year dominated the precipitation total. St. Cloud 2013 precipitation ended up being wetter than average in St. Cloud with 28.84 inches, 1.11 inches above average. Note that a lot of this surplus was during the snow season with the total of January through April plus December being 9.08 inches of liquid, 2.93 inches above average. During the warmer months of May through November, St. Cloud received 19.76 inches of precipitation, 1.79 inches below normal. Even the growing season rainfall was split up with a fair amount of rain during the spring and a three-month (July-September) rainfall deficit of 6.41 inches, leading much of central Minnesota to be rated in severe drought for a while until more October rain eased the situation.

Despite the rainfall busts at times, St. Cloud's 2013 precipitation was frequent in the lighter amounts. There were 125 days with measurable precipitation, tied for 6th highest total with 1985 and 1991. Of those days, 67 days had at least 0.10 inch of precipitation, tied for 8th most with 1911 and 1991. However, the heaviest amounts were much closer to average.

2013 Severe Weather Dominated by June Straight-Line Wind Damage

The lack of heavy precipitation in the warm season showed up in the lack of tornadoes in Minnesota. Only 15 tornadoes were spotted, the lowest total since 1990.

However, there were a few notable wind events. The one that most adversely affected St. Cloud came through during the Early Morning hours of June 21, leading to widespread power outages over a few days in central Minnesota. More attention was given to the second severe weather event that Evening, which produced Straight-Line Wind Damage in Twin Cities and Southern Minnesota. There was also an unusual hail-producing event just to the south of I-94 on August 7.

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(December 2013 Summary)

Precipitation

Temperature

Snowfall

2013 Statistics

Temperatures (°F)
2013
Average
Average High Temperature (°F)
51.4
53.7
Average Low Temperature (°F)
30.5
32.1
Mean Temperature for 2013 (°F)
40.7
42.9
2013 Temperature Thresholds
2013
Average
Warm Season    
2013 Days with High Temperatures >= 90°F
15
11.4
2013 Days with High Temperature >= 100°F
0
0.5
2013 Days with Low Temperatures >= 70°F
6
3.0
2013 Days with Low Temperatures >= 75°F
0
0.47
Growing Season (Low Temp>= 32°F)
152
137
Cold Season
2013 Days with High Temperatures <= 32°F
95
87.7
2013 Days with High Temperatures <= 0°F
8
4.3
2013 Days with Low Temperatures <= 32°F
188
170.4
2013 Days with Low Temperatures <= 0°F
49
42.5
2013 Days with Low Temperatures <= -20°F
4
5.4
Liquid Equivalent Precipitation (in)
2013
1981-2010 Average
2013 Total Precipitation (in)
28.84
27.71
2013 Liquid Equivalent During Snow Seasons (Jan-Apr, Dec)
9.08
6.15
2013 Non-Snow Season Rainfall (May 1-November 30)
19.76
21.55
2013 Dry Period ( July 1-September 30)
4.15
10.56
Precipitation Thresholds
2013
1896-2013 Average
2013 Days with Measurable (>= 0.01 inch) Precipitation
125
97.3
2013 Days with >= 0.10 inch Precipitation
67
52.9
2013 Days with >= 0.25 inch Precipitation
35
32.1
2013 Days with >= 0.50 inch Precipitation
18
16.8
2013 Days with >= 1.00 inch Precipitation
5
5.5
Snowfall (in)
2013
1981-2010 Average
2013 Total Snowfall
84.3
46.1
Precipitation Thresholds
2013
1904-2013 Average
2013 Total Days with Measurable (>= 0.1 inch) Snowfall
56
32.5
2013 Total Days with >= 1.0 inch Snowfall
22
14.0
2013 Total Days with >= 2.0 inch Snowfall
14
7.6
2013 Total Days with >= 5.0 inch Snowfall
4
1.5

 

2013 Month-by-Month Summary January-July
Temperature (°F)
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul
Average High Temperature 22.6 24.5 31.8 44.8 65.1 75.5 82.2
Average Low Temperature 3.8 5.1 12.0 27.5 43.7 54.8 59.5
Mean Temperature 13.2 14.8 21.9 36.2 54.4 65.1 70.5
Departure from Normal +1.6 -2.2 -7.5 -7.4 -2.1 -0.5 +0.2
2012 Warmest High Temperature

95°F on May 14, August 26

2012 Coldest High Temperature -6°F on January 21 (first sub-zero high since January 21, 2011)
2012 Warmest Low Temperature 74°F on August 26
2012 Coldest Low Temperature -25°F on December 24 (first -20 or colder low since February 10, 2011)


2013 Daily Record Temperatures
Temperature (°F)
Date
Record Warm High Temperature (3 broken)
95
May 14
94
August 25
95
August 26
Record Warm Average Temperature (3 broken)
84
August 24
84
August 25
73
September 27
Record Warm Low Temperature (3 broken)
69
August 24
74
August 25
65
September 27
Record Cold High Temperature (1 broken; 1 tied)
32 (tie)
April 18
68
July 26
Record Cold Average Temperature (3 broken; 1 tied)
27
April 20
58
July 26
56
July 27
59 (tie)
July 28
Record Cold Low Temperature (2 broken)
16
April 20
43
July 28
Precipitation (in)
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul
Liquid Precipitation 0.45  1.33 2.63 2.90 4.98 5.76 1.43
Departure from Normal -0.20 +0.74 +1.08 +0.33 +2.03 +1.59 -1.88
Most in 24 hours 1.54 inches on May 18
New Daily Precipitation Records Set
Amount (inches)
Date
Daily Record Precipitation (3 broken)
0.70
February 10
0.75
March 9
0.53
December 4
Snowfall (in)
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul
Snowfall 2.5 16.8 16.6 24.4 Trace 0.0 0.0
Departure from Normal -8.0 +9.6 +8.5 +21.5 - - -
Most in 24 hours 9.4 inches on April 18
New Snowfall Records Set
Amount (inches)
Date
Monthly Record Snowfall (1 broken)
24.4
April
Daily Record Snowfall (7 broken; 2 tied)
6.7
February 10
3.5
February 13
1.3 (tie)
February 22
4.0
March 5
8.7
April 11
9.4
April 18
Trace (tie)
April 24
5.0
December 4

 

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(December 2013 Summary)

Precipitation

Temperature

Snowfall

2013 Month-by-Month Summary August-December
Temperature (°F)
Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec 2013
Average High Temperature 83.2 75.2 53.3 38.9 15.3 51.1
Average Low Temperature 56.1 50.6 36.5 18.7 -2.8 30.6
Mean Temperature 69.7 62.9 44.9 28.8 6.2 40.7
Departure from Normal +1.9 +4.3 -0.8 -1.6 +2.0 -2.2

 

Precipitation (in)
Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec 2013
Liquid Precipitation 0.85 1.87 4.34 0.53 1.77 28.84
Departure from Normal -2.96 -1.59 +1.84 -0.85 +0.95 +1.13

6th Driest August in St. Cloud Records

Snowfall (in)
Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec 2013
Snowfall 0.0 0.0 0.8 2.8 20.4 84.3
Departure from Normal - - +0.1 -6.1 +9.9 +38.2
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(December 2013 Summary)

Precipitation

Temperature

Snowfall

 

Calendar Year Snowfall (Spans Two Winters) (1900-2013, Average = 41.6 inches)
Rank
Year
Snowfall (inches)
1
1936
85.2
2
2013
84.3
3
1965
81.7
4
1975
75.3
5
1917
73.1
6
1951
72.9
7
1950
71.3
8
1991
69.4
9
1969
69.2
10(tie)
1996
65.9
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(December 2013 Summary)

Precipitation

Temperature

Snowfall

 

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