Photo: Gary Fultz on Unsplash.com

By Laura Durenberger-Grunow - Boreal Community Media - October 28, 2024


The tamaracks are changing, the deciduous tree leaves have all but fallen, the days are getting shorter, and all signs point towards the changing season except maybe one thing: the warm temperatures. 

While it's too early to have data for October, according to NOAA, September was Minnesota's warmest and driest month on record, and for most of October, temperatures have remained above average. Looking ahead at the next 8-14 days, the Climate Prediction Center shows a 50-60% chance that temperatures will remain above normal. For reference, the average high and low temperatures for Cook County in November are in the upper 30s and upper 20s, respectively. 

 Image: NOAA

As for precipitation, recent rain has helped reduce drought levels throughout NE Minnesota. This, along with low relative humidity levels, allowed conditions to improve enough for the SNF, DNR, and Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa to lift campfire bans and other burning restrictions that were in place for most of the month. And while things have improved, all entities have warned that conditions still remain for the potential for wildfires. Moving into the first 10 days of November, the Climate Prediction Center forecast shows near-normal precipitation levels. For reference, Cook County averages 2.5 inches of precipitation, mostly as snow, for the month of November. How the warm temperatures will impact precipitation levels is yet to be determined.

 Image: NOAA