Summer 2006 Saint Cloud Hot Weather Facts

Second Highest 90-Degree Days in July; None Since

After breaking the 90-degree mark 15 times in July 2006, the temperature never broke 90 degrees in August. The 15 July 90-degree days tied for the second most on record, but the twenty total days ranks only 17th in Saint Cloud records. The normal annual total is 11.4 days.

Back to 100 Degrees for the First Time in 16 Years

On July 31, the Saint Cloud Airport high was 101°F, the first time that Saint Cloud had broken 100°F since July 3, 1990. However, this still fell short of the July 31 record high of 102°F, set in 1988. Since 1950, Saint Cloud has hit 100 degrees only on 9 days, 7 of which were in 1988. Also, the Saint Cloud history of 100 degree days shows that there have 58 days since 1893 hitting 100.

Dry Spell Ranks as Moderate to Severe Drought

The rainfall deficit in Saint Cloud was as high as 6.41 inches between May 15 and August 22. However, two sets of storms, one on August 23-24 (2.87 inches), and the other Sept. 2-3 (3.00 inches, substantially eased the below normal rainfall in Saint Cloud. In fact, Saint Cloud received only 6.00 inches of rain during more than 3 months, then picked up 5.87 inches in less than two weeks.

This rain relief did not reach all of the state. You can check more local details on the The Minnesota State Climatology Office's latest dry summer update. For a national perspective, you can check the latest US Drought Monitor from the National Drought Mitigation Center.

You can find more dry spell resources on the Minnesota State Climatology Office's 2006 Dry Spell Resources Page.

The last significant dry spell in Minnesota was a 10-month dry period from July 15, 2003 through the rest of the 2003 growing season and continuing through mid-May 2004 after the ground thawed. The rainfall deficit from mid-summer 2003 through April 2004 in Saint Cloud reached more than six and three-quarters inches until the rains came.

During the summer of 2005, we also went through a 2 1/2 month dry spell that caused some problems. However, it was short-lived enough so that heavy rains in August through October were able to prolong the growing season.

Although the 2003 10-month dry period could not compare to Minnesota's last major drought during 1986-1989, the period was intense enough to cause much of the state to be classified in the moderate to severe drought categories.