June 2017 Saint Cloud Weather Summary

June Runs Hot and Dry, Then Cool and Wet in Central Minnesota

June 2017 Saint Cloud Weather Summary

June 2017 was marked by a major weather pattern change in the middle of the month, bringing an end to more than 2 weeks of warmth. According to statistics collected by the National Weather Service, the average June temperature at the St. Cloud Regional Airport was 66.2°F, 0.6°F above average. However, if we break down the month, June 1-17 was the warm period. The average temperature was 68.7°F (83.6°F high, 53.7°F low) with 15 days having a high of at least 80 and our only 90-degree high for the month on June 10. However, after June 17, the average temperature in St. Cloud fell to 62.9°F (73.6°F high, 52.2°F low) with 12 days not reaching 80 degrees and 2 days with highs in the 60's. There were also two mornings with lows of 42 degrees, including the record tying cold low on June 26.

The overall statistics still showed a warm average high of 79.3°F, the second warmest average June high in the past 10 years. However, the June average low was 53.1°F, the second coldest June low of the past 10 years.

The reason for the shift was the major change of the steering winds across North America. A general pattern that kept low pressure near the western coast of North America during the first two weeks of June switched to a major high pressure area across the western third of country. This flipped the West Coast and Rockies weather from cool to the major heat wave we've heard a lot about in the media during the second half of June. But, over Minnesota, it allowed several low pressure systems to track from British Columbia or even the Prairie Provinces of Canada over the Great Lakes. This meant that our steering winds during the second period were often from the northwest, driving cool fronts and lingering pockets of cool air over Minnesota.

The change of temperature brought much more precipitation into the St. Cloud area, but the amount of rain was completely different within a few miles of St. Cloud. That was because the rain was mostly triggered by pockets and outbreaks of thunderstorms. For the entire month of June, the St. Cloud Airport had 3.58 inches, only 0.59 inch below normal. In the first 17 days of June, the St. Cloud Airport missed several outbreaks of storms and picked up only 0.95 inch of rain. For a while, St. Cloud was more than 2 inches behind in June, but the cooler pattern produced more rain in St. Cloud. On the last three days of the month, there were 2.15 inches of rain, about 60 percent of the total June rainfall.

However, the early month rain shortfall was mainly due to St. Cloud missing outbreaks of rain and severe storms. Note that the Stearns-Wright County border near South Haven and Kimball got at least 4 inches of rain in June (see June total Minnesota rainfall from the National Weather Service). That was due to an outbreak of storms on June 11 that produced large, accumulating hail in central Minnesota through the Twin Cities and straight line damaging winds as high as 70 MPH in Dassel and 80 MPH in Litchfield. The hail ruined many fruit crops in the Twin Cities.

There was also a lot more rain from Sauk Centre into northern Kandiyohi County ( more than 5 inches) with more than 4 inches in much of Benton County into Mora and Pine City.

Other notable severe weather outbreaks included the straight line wind damage in southeastern Minnesota on June 12 and the June 13 outbreak of damaging winds and tornadoes from the eastern Dakotas into the Red River Valley and west central Minnesota. There were two tornadoes in western Minnesota on that day.

The overall crop conditions have varied quite a bit. The June 26 Minnesota Crop Progress and Condition report from US Department of Agriculture showed only 8 percent or less of soils in Minnesota being short of moisture. The main problem has been the cool weather, which has led to slightly fewer than average corn growing degree days so far.

There was one more lingering sign of our very mild cool season. There were no more days with a lows of freezing or colder, as is usual for June. The 2016-2017 total number of days with a low of freezing was 150 days, the second fewest in St. Cloud records. The record was set last cold season (2015-2016) with 143 days.

On the other hand, the one 92-degree high we've seen so far this summer means that the temperature has not hit 95 degrees in St. Cloud since August 26, 2013. The temperature has only been warmer than that once in the past 10 years, 101 degrees on June 7, 2011. Several recent summers have been modestly above average, but really hot summers like 1988 haven't happened. The closest was 2011, which was one of the 20 warmest summers.

This month also marked the 25th Anniversary of the Chandler-Lake Wilson EF-5 tornado on June 16, 1992 (summary from NWS Sioux Falls). The storm cut through a swath of Chandler, causing damage from winds estimated as high as 260 MPH. One person was killed, 40 were injured, and there was $75 million in damage.

     June 2017 Statistics