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MN Climatologist will present in Brainerd on April 20th

Department of Natural Resources Senior Climatologist Dr. Kenny Blumenfeld's will make a presentation at Central Lakes College's Chalberg Theater on Monday, April 20.  The presentation, on climate, change will begin at noon and is a free event open to the public.

Dr. Blumenfeld talked in New Ulm last year. Below are a few paragraphs, from the New Ulm Journal, summarizing that presentation.


“It’s really the lowest temperatures that are increasing the fastest,” Blumenfeld said. “Especially winter-time nights with the coldest nights. That’s where we’re seeing the most warming.”

Blumenfeld said this rapid loss of cold extremes in Minnesota may be projected to continue if weather pattern trends match data collected from each decade.

According to data collected in Minnesota since 1970, Blumenfeld said there’s been an average of a 1.2 degree Fahrenheit increase in winter temperatures per decade. The data also showed that average summer temperatures have increased by .09 degrees per decade since 1970. Blumenfeld said the data demonstrates that winter has been warming 13 percent faster than summer.

However, this isn’t necessarily cause for immediate concern, he said. He said that any dramatic change in Minnesota’s climate won’t happen until between 2040 and 2055.

“For the next 20 years it looks like we’re faring better than other places,” he said. “That’s when we’ll see a difference climatologically.”
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The following graphs are of minimum and maximum temperatures measured at the Long Prairie, MN weather station from 1900 to 2010. The graphs were developed by Steve and Nancy Potter who are National Weather Service observers in Long Prairie. They bear out Blumenthal's broader observations. As you can see, the annual minimum in 1900 was just over 28F and by 2010 it was slightly above 32F. So, for more than a century winters have increasingly been less cold. On the other hand, annual maximum temperatures are up just over one degree F.



WARNING: The short term trends are no cause to relax our efforts to reduce green house gas emissions. 

Tim



Central Minnesota Central

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