It’s a “rinse and repeat” fall forecast.
That’s the summary of Ryan Dunleavy of the National Weather Service. The meteorologist said the region’s warm temperatures will continue — except for a brief cooldown Wednesday — with normal temperatures and precipitation returning in mid-November.
“It’s definitely been warmer than normal,” Dunleavy said. “Most days we’re reaching into the 70s and even into the 80s. These days where we’re seeing the warmer temperatures in the 70s and 80s we’re running 20 degrees above normal.”
With 11 days to go in October, our average high this year is 68 degrees. Where we’re supposed to be this time of year is 58 degrees for an average, putting us 10 degrees above normal. Last year we recorded a warm October day of 92 degrees and in 1997 we had a 90-degree day.
The very brief cooldown mid-week will bring temperatures into the 50s. Then it’s back into the upper 60s. And we’ll have a warm Halloween and beginning of November, Dunleavy said.
For precipitation, there has been only a trace of rainfall in October, which is substantially below normal. Last year at this time, we had 2.58 inches of rainfall, Dunleavy said.
The forecast calls for higher amounts of rainfall over the coming week, but only in northern Minnesota. For the Mankato area, the prediction is a quarter inch of rainfall at best, Dunleavy said.
We are definitely dryer than normal. In fact, that’s the recap of how October has been for us weather wise: “warm and dry,” he said.
“The warm trend will continue, but it’s anticipated that we will begin the cooling trend, returning to near normal temperatures and normal precipitation in mid-November.”
Normal temperatures in November are in the 40s with normal precipitation of up to 1.6 inches of rain and snow.
“It’s been almost a very prolonged fall,” Dunleavy said. “Or a mix of summer and fall.”