This Winter Is On Pace To Be The Warmest In Minnesota History

According to the State Climatology Office, which has dubbed this season the “Lost Winter,” 2023-24 is on track to be the warmest winter in Minnesota history. With record setting high temperatures and a marked lack of snow, this has been a winter unlike any seen in years, if not generations. And whether it’s due to El Niño, climate change, some combination of the two, or something else entirely, folks in the Land of 10,000 Lakes are not happy about it.

This has been one of - and is on track to be the - warmest winter in Minnesota.

The Twin Cities set a record for the most days at 50° F. or above for rhe season near the beginning of February - and there have been several more since. In January, we had the longest January thaw on record, with 24 consecutive days above freezing.

Many planned winter events were cancelled or cut short or significantly altered.

The Loppet Foundation, for example, had to manufacture snow for its annual festival, as well as for the first World Cup cross-country skiing event held in Minnesota in decades.

The North Shore and the Lake Superior Highlands is the snowiest region in the state.

When I visited the Grand Marais area in late February 2022, there was nearly four feet of snow on the ground.

Over the winter of 2022-23, the area received even more snow, recording the second highest snowfall total on record.

When I visited Grand Marais over President's Day weekend this year, there was, at best, a dusting of snow remaining on the ground.

In fact, it rained much of the time I was on the North Shore. Again, this was February in Minnesota.

Two short-lived snow events in February were the only things that prevented Nashville (Tennessee) for having a greater winter snowfall total than the Twin Cities.

We’ll know pretty soon whether this has, indeed, been the warmest winter on record. Even if, somehow, it fails to set the overall record, this winter in Minnesota has been devastating for businesses that rely on cold weather, such as ski resorts, ice fishing lodges, and ancillary businesses like restaurants and outfitters - as well as winter recreation enthusiasts. i just hope this is some kind of an aberration, but it doesn’t really feel like it. Even though we set a record high for a daily temperature in February this year - 65° F. in the Twin Cities on February 26 - it's still winter in Minnesota. (The temperature fell to 5° F. just 36 hours later, for example). So, make sure you have your winter essentials at the ready because who knows what's in store?