Seasons of Change: Our Warming Climate
The science is clear -- the climate in Minnesota is warming. It's a trend that shows up in observational data in many ways, and this mild fall is no exception.
As of today (November 12th) it has been 214 days since the temperature last reached 32° or colder in the Twin Cities. That's the longest since the 1800s that we've gone without a freeze, and the forecast shows that it likely won't happen for another week.
Since 1970 the frost-free season has trended longer here in the Twin Cities; on average there are now 25 more days per year between the last frost of the spring and the first frost of the fall.
It's also part of a larger trend nationwide; in fact, the entire upper Midwest has added about 9 days of frost-free weather per year during the period covering 1992-2012, relative to the period of 1902-1960.
As a whole, fall is one of the fastest-warming season in Minnesota; in fact, during the fall, Minnesota is warming faster than 45 other U.S. states. You can use the interactive map below to compare warming rates across the U.S.
For sources and methodology, visit Climate Central