December 2018 Saint Cloud Weather Summary

    December 2018 Statistics

A Tale of Snowy and Frigid April, Unusual Late May Heat, and Chilly Fall Signifies Nearly Average in Every Way (Except Snow) 2018
2018 Annual Saint Cloud Weather Summary

The story of the final 2018 St. Cloud weather statistics was that there was nearly no story. The average temperature of 41.9 degrees was within a degree of average with total precipitation of 27.76 inches within 0.05 inch of average. The only clue of the wildly unusual year was in the total snowfall of 66.0 inches, nearly 20 inches above average. However, we won't see how weird a year it was by looking at the overall statistics

Blasted With Late Season Snow

The seasonal snowfall was actually 11 inches behind as of February 18. However, a major change in the storm pattern produced 46.3 inches of snow (more than 2/3 of the total) between February and April. This tied for the 3rd highest Feb-Apr snowfall with 1950-1951. The double-digit snowfall totals in each month didn't come close to records in February or March, but did produce the 4th highest April snowfall. The unusual snow cover during most of April helped to allow April tie April 1950 as the coldest April in St. Cloud records. That is because snow reduces heating to the air by both reflecting a lot of the sunlight back to space and using up some warmth to melt the snow. The cold April included 12 daily temperature records tied or broken, including a new record for the latest 0-degree temperature in the season, set on April 5.

There was more than an inch of snow on the ground all the way to April 20, the latest date to end the consecutive streak of at least 1 inch on the ground. That was only after the first 50-degree high was registered on April 19 and the first 60-degree high was reached on April 22. The slow thaw led to minor to moderate flooding along the Red, Minnesota, and Mississippi Rivers. Many Minnesota lakes did not see ice out until the first 10 days of May, giving a slow start to the fishing season.

One of May's Hottest Finishes Ever

While we were stuck under the snow globe through the first half of the spring, the rest of the country was seeing warmer than average temperatures. These worked their way into St. Cloud in the last few days of April and ended up persisting for much of May. So, May ended up being the 6th warmest May in St. Cloud records. May was capped by a 6-day heat wave (temperatures of 90 or higher) from May 24 through May 29. This marked the most May 90-degree days. The old record was 5 days in May 1900 and 1934. The streak included a record-breaking 95 degree high on May 26 with a 96 degree high on May 28, that came up short of a record. Temperatures broke 100 degrees in Minneapolis-St. Paul and hit 100 degrees as close to St. Cloud as Hutchinson and Maple Lake.

A shorter hot period at the end of June produced a St. Cloud high of 97 degrees on June 30. This was St. Cloud's hottest day since hitting 101 degrees on June 7, 2011 and was only the second temperature of 97 or higher in the past 12 years. The temperature never reached higher than 91 degrees the rest of the summer.

The persistent heat did get the Twin Cities to end up with the 15th warmest summer, but St. Cloud only averaged a degree above normal.

Severe Weather Strikes Minnesota Late in Season

A September 20 outbreak of severe weather ended up producing 24 tornadoes mostly in the Minnesota River Valley and southern Minnesota. There was also widespread wind damage.

The main problem during the summer was a series of storms that produced heavy rainfall, most notably across southern Minnesota and from Lake Mille Lacs to the north and east. Much of this area received more than 40 inches of rain with 50 inches to the south of the Minnesota River Valley. Both Harmony and Caledonia were over 57 inches of rain through November, besting the previous Minnesota record of 56.24 inches in Waseca.

Overall, there was heat with 13 days of highs of at least 90 degrees, three days with a low of at least 70 degrees, 192 days with a low of freezing or colder, a near average 40 days with a low of zero or colder, but only 1 day with a high of zero or colder and one day with a low of -20 or colder.