<e from “Let’s go Wild,” the most commonly uttered phrase in Minnesota over the past few days has likely been “What is with the weather?” We started out with a hail and thunderstorm last Friday, which turned into a blizzard over the weekend. For those experiencing their first “spring” here, I should tell you that it isn’t common for us to get snowstorms in mid-April, let alone one quite as large as this one.
This snowstorm was so abnormal that it broke many state records. The last time we had weather reminiscent of what we are seeing today was the record-breaking year of 1983, when southern Minnesota had a snowstorm that dropped 13.6 inches. This weekend’s appalling dumping dwarfed that number, with 15.8 inches of snow coming down in three days. 2018 has also set new records for the snowiest start to the calendar year and the snowiest April.
And it hasn’t been just snowy; we have had cold days as well. A new record low maximum temperature of 28˚ was set on Sunday, with the previous low maximum of 32˚ having been recorded in 1951. But despite the snow and cold, our furry and feathered residents of the Arb should still be doing quite alright. In fact, getting out into the Arb will likely be rewarded with sights of northward bird migration in anticipation of spring.
We Carls have seen some record breaking weather over the last few years. We’ve had hundred year floods, incredibly cold winters, and record breaking snow. But please don’t despair–we are forecasted 60˚ days with sun over the course of the next week. So get out in the Arb and enjoy it!