2012 will finish in a tie with 1931 as the warmest year on record in the Twin Cities and will range from the warmest to third warmest on record depending on the location around the region.
For so long, it appeared like 2012 would be the warmest year on record for the Twin Cities, but then winter decided to arrive as if on cue on December 21 and since then temperatures have been mostly below normal. As a result, the average temperature for the Twin Cities for 2012 will wind up to be 50.8 degrees, the same as the 50.8 degrees recorded in 1931. The 1981-2010 average temperature for the year is 46.3 degrees so 2012 will finish 4.5 degrees above normal. Every month of 2012 was above normal except October which finished 1.4 degrees below normal. March 2012 was 15.5 degrees above normal and greatly assisted in lifting the average temperature for 2012.
The hottest day of 2012 in the Twin Cities was 102 degrees on July 6 and the coldest temperature of the year was -11 on January 19.
Twin Cities (1873-2012) Rank Year Average ----------------- 1. 1931 50.8 2012 50.8 3. 1987 49.7 4. 2006 49.3 5. 1998 48.8 (1981-2010 normal: 46.3)
How will other larger cities fare in Minnesota and the surrounding region? It appears as though 2012 will range from the warmest on record to the third warmest on record depending on location. The final averages for 2012 may change a little from the averages noted below.
St. Cloud (1895-2012) Rank Year Average ----------------- 1. 1931 47.9 2. 2012 47.1 3. 1921 46.6 4. 1987 46.4 5. 1998 46.2 (1981-2010 normal: 42.9) Duluth (1875-2012) Rank Year Average ----------------- 1. 1931 44.5 2. 1878 44.4 3. 2012 44.0 4. 1998 43.2 5. 1877 42.8 (1981-2010 normal: 39.7) International Falls (1947-2012) Rank Year Average ----------------- 1. 1987 42.2 2. 1998 41.1 3. 2012 40.5 4. 1981 40.1 2006 40.1 (tie) (1981-2010 normal: 37.5) Rochester (1910-1919, and 1929-2012) Rank Year Average ----------------- 1. 2012 50.2 2. 1931 49.8 3. 2006 47.6 4. 1987 47.4 1987 47.4 (1981-2010 normal: 45.4) La Crosse (1873-2012) Rank Year Average ----------------- 1. 1998 51.8 2. 1931 51.6 3. 2012 51.1 4. 1878 50.6 5. 1987 50.4 (1981-2010 normal: 47.4) Fargo (1881-2012) Rank Year Average ----------------- 1. 1987 46.3 2012 46.3 tie 3. 1931 45.8 4. 2006 45.2 5. 1998 45.1 (1981-2010 normal: 42.4) Grand Forks (1893-2012) Rank Year Average ----------------- 1. 1931 44.3 2. 1987 43.9 3. 2012 43.6 4. 1981 42.8 5. 1998 42.4 (1981-2010 normal: 40.0) Sioux Falls (1893-2012) Rank Year Average ----------------- 1. 1931 50.6 2. 1921 50.5 2012 50.5 tie 4. 1938 50.2 5. 1987 49.8 (1981-2010 normal: 45.8)
Pete Boulay, DNR Climatologist