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Page WATER TALK Summer/Fall 1995 <br />Bate ate <br />uer 1995 <br />Greg Spoden, State Climatologist <br />The 1995 growing season provided a sharp <br />contrast in climate conditions across <br />Minnesota. Large sections of southern <br />Minnesota received above normal precipitation <br />through the late spring and into the summer. <br />Conversely, some areas of northern Minnesota <br />reported very low precipitation totals. Warm <br />temperatures and unusually high relative <br />humidity were common throughout the summer <br />statewide. <br />Spells of heat and high humidity occurred. <br />during each of the summer months. Many areas <br />set high temperature records on June 17th and <br />18th. Temperatures in the upper 90`s and lower <br />100's were common. The Twin Cities recorded <br />the longest June spell of 90-degree days in <br />history. The very hot weather combined with <br />sparse May and June precipitation. in the north <br />to create agronomic crop stress in the northwest <br />and heightened forest fire potential in the <br />northeast. Large forest fires occurred in the <br />Boundary Waters Canoe Area in June. The fares <br />returned again in August. Contrary to problems <br />created in the north, extended periods of high <br />temperatures benefited crops in the south. The <br />hot weather accelerated plant development <br />delayed by a cool spring. Another heat spell in <br />mid-July killed several thousand turkeys and <br />boosted energy demands to all-time highs. The <br />very warm summer temperatures and an <br />unusually large number of days with dewpoint <br />temperatures in the 70's may have indirectly <br />contributed to the outbreak of airborne disease <br />in Mankato and Luverne. <br />July precipitation was above normal over <br />the entire state, temporarily easing the dryness <br />in the north. With the above normal July <br />precipitation came severe weather. High winds, <br />hail, and some tornadoes caused damage in <br />many Minnesota communities. Fifteen (15) <br />counties and the White Earth Indian <br />Reservation have received a Presidential <br />Declaration of Disaster. An extremely heavy <br />rainfall event occurred on Juiy 3 and 4 in west <br />central Minnesota, dropping ten or more inches <br />of rain on northern Chippewa and southern <br />Swift counties. High water covered roads and <br />washed out fields. Intense windstorms downed <br />millions of trees July 13 and 14, affecting an <br />estimated 200,000 acres of forested land. <br />...c~nttnuad on page 9 <br />1=figure 1. Average Annual Departure from Normal Precipitation <br />(1990-1994) <br />1 <br />8 <br />4 <br />0 <br />r:;`;= <br />-4 <br />