Record-Warm Fall in Minnesota (Pretty Dry Too!)

The 2024 meteorological autumn in Minnesota, September through November, was the warmest in 130 years of record for the state. 

NOAA's spatial statewide average temperature for the three months (accessed through this tool) was 50.26 degrees F, roughly six-tenths of a degree F above the previous record from 1963, and marking the first time the value had been 50 degrees F or higher. Seven of the ten warmest autumns on record (back to 1895) have occurred since the year 2000.

The season's warmth was "front-loaded," thanks to a record-warm September that was 1.4 degrees F warmer (on a statewide-average basis) than the previous record-holder, 2015. October was 6th warmest and November was 9th warmest. No other year is among the 10 warmest for each of the individual months.

With this autumn warmth in the books, 2024 now has (parts of) two seasonal temperature records--claiming not just autumn, but also the winter record set earlier in the year, when December 2023 through February 2024 became the warmest on record by a whopping 2.2 degrees F. 

It was also the 10th driest autumn on record, with an average of only 3.88 inches of precipitation across the state, which is over 3 inches short and represents just 56% of the 1991-2020 average. The most extreme dryness was also in September (3rd driest statewide average). October was 26th driest, but November was the 18th wettest.

Posted December 16, 2024

KAB