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It’s Jan. 31 but the Twin Cities felt like April 10 after reaching record high of 55

molly guthrey, pioneer press
·2 min read
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It’s Jan. 31 but the Twin Cities felt like April 10 after reaching record high of 55

Has winter ghosted us?

With the cancellation of winter events and the opening of golf courses — in January, in Minnesota — it certainly feels that way.

The mercury at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport reached 55 degrees on Wednesday afternoon, topping the average daily high temperature by an astounding 31 degrees and shattering the previous record of 46 that was set in 1995 and tied in 2009, according to the National Weather Service.

The Minneapolis-St. Paul high of 55 (the typical maximum for April 10) fell short of the monthly record for January in the Twin Cities — 58 degrees, set in 1944. But Canby, in southwestern Minnesota, hit 61. That’s likely the warmest Jan. 31 on record in the state, though not the warmest reading statewide in January. That is 69 degrees on Jan. 24, 1981, in Montevideo.

Meanwhile, high temperature records fell all over the region Wednesday, including St. Cloud (55), Brainerd (52), Rochester (52) and Eau Claire, Wis. (52).

International Falls hit 53 degrees, the first time a 50-degree reading had been recorded in January in the “Nation’s Icebox.” Wednesday’s high in the Canadian border community was 40 degrees above average.

Temperatures are expected to moderate throughout the week, but they’ll likely remain well above average for this time of year. Highs in the 40s are forecast through the weekend.

The strange winter is in the running for the warmest on record in Minnesota. Besides the mild temperatures, which led many lakes to set late ice-in records, snowfall is running nearly 23 inches below average. The official snow depth in the Twin Cities remains at 0. That has helped to send temperatures higher this week (Monday’s 50 degrees broke the 1931 record of 49) because more of the sun’s energy is absorbed by the bare ground.

The off-the-charts season, which climatologists attribute to some combination of global warming and a strong El Nino event in the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean, is impacting events and traditions in the Twin Cities.

Earlier this week, Dodge Nature Center announced it was canceling its upcoming Winter Fun Fest, scheduled for Feb. 17 at the main property in West St. Paul.

“Our decision to cancel this event is due to unseasonably warm weather and a forecast with little precipitation and barely freezing temperatures,” the nonprofit announced.

However, the public can still visit the nature center’s four locations, where the trails are free to use from sunrise to sunset every day, all year.

Or, the public can go golfing.

While courses are typically buried under snow this time of year, that is not the case now. Emerald Greens Golf Course in Hastings is one of the courses open this week.

The announcement on Monday sparked joy on social media, with plenty of likes and sharing.

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