June 2024 Saint Cloud Weather Summary

4th Wettest Dec-June Overcomes Lingering Water Shortages of Past Two Warm Seasons

For the past two late springs into early falls, Minnesota had rainfall shortages that stressed local crops (set two week comparison of the US Drought Monitor page to September 12, 2023 and October 4, 2022). During my first years in Minnesota, however, we were coming off the severe drought of the 1986-1989 heat waves and droughts (section 3 of this report from the Illinois Water Survey covers the conditions throughout the Midwest, including Minnesota). The 1988 heat wave culminated the three straight dry summers with June 1988 being the hottest. We had a decent snow year in 1988-1989, but another dry period during the spring stressed crops since the ground water levels were low from the previous years. It ended up taking the ridiculous June 1990 rainfall, 10.52 inches, the 5th rainiest month in St. Cloud records, to finally make up all of the missing water.

No June Rainfall Record in St. Cloud and Twin Cities, But Records in South Central Minnesota

It looks like the perpetual precipitation that began last December (wettest December in St. Cloud records) and continued through June finally threw the switch from drier than average to too much rain across Minnesota. While St. Cloud (6.20 June inches, 23rd wettest June) and Minneapolis-St. Paul (7.27 inches; 14th wettest June; behind pay wall) had well above average rainfall, only places like Faribault (15.7 inches) ended up breaking June records (see NWS Water Prediction Service June Minnesota rainfall map, turn off all the rain gauges, click on county lines for administrative boundaries, turn precipitation estimates on and click monthly for June). Still, the combination of way-too-much rain that began in mid-May and continued through June ended up producing major flooding statewide. The last straw was the heavy rainfall during June 15-22, including major flooding in northeastern Minnesota and the Iron Range on June 18 and extreme southern Minnesota rain on June 20-22, which also affected South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Iowa.

Records In Longer Period Rainfall

In St. Cloud, the June rainfall of 6.20 inches was 3.45 inches above average. The combined May and June rainfall was 10.37 inches, 2.96 inches above average. That is an extreme contrast to last May and June, when only 1.54 inch fell, the driest May-June in St. Cloud records. The combined May and June rainfall (see NWS Water Prediction Service last 60 day Minnesota rainfall map; turn off all the rain gauges, click on county lines for administrative boundaries, turn precipitation estimates on check yesterday, and use the pull-down for last 60 days) was at least 6 inches in all of Minnesota, and exceeded 15 inches in the dark brown and red areas.

The above average rainfall continued in both the calendar year so far and since last December:

• Jan-June Precipitation: 18.79 inches, 5.77 inches above average, 11th wettest first 6 months
  • Record January-June: 22.53 inches, 2014
  • 2019 10th wettest Jan-June, 19.19
• Dec-June Precipitation: 22.14 inches, avg 13.90 inches, 4th wettest Dec-Jun (see table below)

Mostly Rain, Few Severe Weather Events

There was one major outbreak of severe weather in Minnesota. On June 12, there were a number of central Minnesota tornadoes, just to the north of the St. Cloud area. There were also the strong straight-line winds along the edge of thunderstorms and also just in the overall pressure distribution on June 3.

All of the persistent clouds and frequent rain was produced by having the main storm track either near Minnesota or to the south. While June 2024 ended being much hotter than average across the Desert Southwest, the Southern Plains, and the Southeast, that hot and sticky air was usually to the south of Minnesota. So, the series of potent storms was frequently able to tap the deep moisture, producing the heavy rainfall from the Northern Tier of states into the Canadian Prairie Provinces.

June 2023 5th Hottest, June 2024 Merely A Bit Warmer Than Average

The persistent rainfall frequently kept clouds over much of Minnesota. Despite frequent uncomfortable humidity, the St. Cloud June average temperature was 67.3 degrees, 1.3 degrees above average. That was more than 4 degrees colder than last June, which was St. Cloud's 5th hottest June on record and the hottest since 1933. It still was the 14th consecutive warmer than average month (every month since April 2023).

There have been no 90-degree highs through June so far this year. The last year without a 90-degree high through June was 2014. 2003 and 2008 also did not have a 90-degree day through June. That also is despite tying for the earliest 60-degree high and setting a record for the earliest 70-degree high in March.

Third Warmest Jan-Jun, Warmest July-Jun

Still, it has been a mild spring coming on the heels of a mild winter. Through the first 6 months of the year, the average St. Cloud temperature has been 43.1 degrees, the 3rd warmest first half of the year in St. Cloud records (see table above). Now that we have completed the heating season (July through June), the St. Cloud average temperature from July 2023 through June 2024 has been 48.5 degrees, the warmest on record (see table below).

    June 2024 Statistics

Last Updated: July 2, 2024