2004年8月 Saint Cloud 天气 Summary

Subject: Saint Cloud 天气 Summary for 2004年8月 and 2004年夏天

Saint Cloud's Coldest 8月 Since 1886

Tied for Fourth Coldest Summer on 记录

     If you didn't like July 2004, you really hated 2004年8月. 的 upper-air flow that brought cool air frequently into central Minnesota in July became stronger and more persistent in 8月. 出于这个原因, the average 8月 temperature at the Saint Cloud Municipal Airport was only 62.3°F, 4.比平常低9华氏度. This reading made 2004年8月 the second coldest 8月 in 123 years of Saint Cloud temperature records. (Ten coldest/warmer 8月s are here.) 的 only 8月 that has ever been colder was in the early settlement days of 1886 when the average temperature was more than three degrees colder than this past month. 8月份的平均最高气温为73.8华氏度，平均最低50华氏度.8°F are the normal temperatures for September third and fourth.

     的re were two major cold surges 在2004年8月 statewide. 的 first cold air surge was on 8月 9-15, and was marked by a cold air mass that had a lot of residual moisture. (See 2004年8月 daily highs and lows here.) 的 persistent cloud cover allowed Saint Cloud to tie or set three daily cold records, including the high of 57°F on 8月10日, 8月21日, 1966年8月23日至24日, 1940 for the second coldest Saint Cloud 8月 high temperature. 的 only colder high temperature was 55°F, set on 8月 25, 1958. (See 8月 daily temperature records here.) 的 skies slowly cleared during the last 3 days of the outbreak, but clear skies allowed low temperatures to approach record lows in the 40's. In all, Saint Cloud had 5 days averaging more than 10 degrees below normal. While Saint Cloud fell two degrees short of its coldest 8月 high temperature, International Falls had a high of only 49°F on 8月10日, setting a new 8月 record for the coldest high temperature and marking only the 6th time the high temperature failed to reach 50°F in their history. (参见NWS德卢斯摘要 在这张唱片上.) Embarrass and Tower had low temperatures drop into the upper 20's, producing daily Minnesota record low temperatures on several dates.

    的 second cold outbreak, on 8月 18-21, had drier, but colder air. 出于这个原因, Saint Cloud high temperatures were able to climb to the upper 60's to low 70's, but plunged into the 30's on three straight mornings. (See 2004年8月 daily highs and lows here.) Four daily cold temperature records were set during this period (See 8月 daily temperature records here.), plus the coldest 8月 low temperature of 33°F was tied on 8月21日. 的 only other 8月 day that has had a low of 33°F was 1974年8月31日. While the official Saint Cloud thermometer escaped its first 8月 frost ever, many neighboring cities and townsto the north and east of Saint Cloud had sub-freezing temperatures, 包括布雷纳德, Pierz, 和驻军. 除了, many personal accounts from the rural areas to the north and east of Saint Cloud confirmed a 霜和 temperatures in the upper 20's. (See statement on cold 8月19日-21 lows from the State Climatology office). 今天早上, Hibbing managed to set its coldest 8月 low temperature in history 与 a reading of 27°F. 前一天晚上, 霜和, in some places a freeze 与 lows in the middle to upper 20's, hit the northern Red River Valley and other non-forested parts of northwest Minnesota. 在此期间, Embarrass again set three statewide daily record lows 与 the coldest being 20°F on 8月21日.

   Unlike many months of recent years, the cold statistics for 2004年8月 were representative of the entire month's weather. 的 high temperature never got above 83°F. 的 only high temperature that was more than 4°F above normal was Tuesday's (8月 31st) 82°F, 比正常高8华氏度.

     凉爽的 8月 helped drag the meteorological summer (June 1 - 8月 31) average temperature to 64.4°F, 3.比正常温度低0°F. So, summer 2004 tied the summer of 1945 as the fourth coldest summer in the 123 years of Saint Cloud temperature records. (Ten coldest/warmer summers are here.) (Note that the SCSU monthly temperature statistics are more complete than those of the NWS, so tied for 4th is the correct rank). In the past 90 summers, only the summer of 1992, the coolest summer on record, has been colder. While there have been only 4 highs of at least 90 degrees during this warm season, and one of these days was in April, there have now been 12 cold records set in July and 8月. 现在有链接到 other Minnesota cold season statements including the coldest 8月 and 2004年夏天 on record at both Alexandria and International Falls, the 5th coldest 8月 and 11th coldest summer in Duluth, 最冷的第六或第七, 在这个摘要的底部. Note that these links will move from temporary pages to permanent pages during the first couple of days of September.

    One weather statistic that has been underpublicized during the cool summer is the relative lack of rainfall. 8月份，只有1人.64 inches fell at the Saint Cloud Regional Airport. 这个总数大于2.3 inches below normal, was the 20th driest 8月 in Saint Cloud history. Moreover, the summer 2004 rainfall ended up being just about three inches below normal. 的 growing season rainfall (April 1 - 8月 31) was very close to normal (16.82 inches of rain compared to the normal of 16.88英寸). Much like last year, most of the rain fell during a relatively short period. 5月16日到6月16日，9.72 inches of rain fell, accounting for 58% of the warm season rain. 没有 the rainfall from those 32 days, this warm season has been more than 5.比正常低7英寸. 事实上， monthly rainfall statistics through 8月 look a lot like those from last year. 的 cause of this year's dryness has been the persistent northwest flow of weather from northern Canada. True moisture from the Gulf of Mexico has been pushed much further south than normal. So, 当锋面袭来, few of them have had access to enough moisture to produce widespread heavy rainfall. Given the sporadic nature of thunderstorms, areas have been frequently missed.

    的 dry 8月 has allowed the dry conditions in the north central part of the state to greatly expand over the past two months. 的 8月 30 growing season precipitation map from the Minnesota State Climatology Office shows that the worst conditions remained from the northern half of Morrison County to Leech Lake and eastward through Grand Rapids and the Iron Range, similar to the area that has been short of rain all year. 然而, 这个干燥的地区, 与 less than 80% of the normal rainfall, 已经蔓延到贝米吉了吗, 巴格利, 和派克急流城. 除了, the area of slightly below normal rainfall has extended southwestward from Wheaton and Ortonville northwestward through Alexandria and Saint Cloud. In all of this area, rainfall has been short over the past month. 然而, conditions are not as bad as last year because of the cooler weather, which limits moisture loss due to evaporation.

    What are the consequences of the cool, dry weather this summer, aside from the complaints I get? 的 first consequence is the potential crop loss. 凉爽的, rainy May and June delayed crop germination and the early frost has damaged much of the crops in northwestern Minnesota. Crop damage from the 8月19日-21 cold period is still being assessed in north central and central Minnesota.

     凉爽的 conditions will apparently be good for the foliage, increasing the likelihood of leaves turning brightly at the same time. 的 negative factor is the dry conditions, tending to have leaves shrivel. 根据最近的天气, there will be spectacular foliage viewing potential except possibly in the dry areas of north central Minnesota. 然而, that does not include the North Shore which has had plenty of rain.

     最后, the dry conditions is of some immediate concern due to the hot and windy conditions expected later this week. 今天早上, these conditions are producing a red flag warning for a high forest fire danger in western North Dakota. 但我们不会那么热, the combination of winds and heat will increase fire danger into the high to very high category on the 明尼苏达州消防局野火预报 星期四和星期五.

    具有讽刺意味的是, weather conditions for the first few days of September are expected to approach levels we haven't seen for most of the summer. 根据我的最新预测, high temperatures will be near normal on Wednesday, then well above normal at least 星期四和星期五 与 a chance of 90 degrees for the first time since July 21 on both days.

Links to Other Cold 8月 and Summer Statements

• NWS Minnesota Statements on 8月 and Summer 记录s （9/1/2004）
• NWS Wisconsin Statements on 8月 and Summer 记录s (including Rochester; 9/1/2004)
• NWS South Dakota Statements on 8月 and Summer 记录s (9/1/2004)
• 寒冷的八月 大福克斯 (冷) 法戈/学习 （第二冷）（9/1/2004）
• 寒冷的夏天 大福克斯 (冷) 法戈/学习 （第七冷）（9/1/2004）
• Update on Cold 8月 and Summer in Central and Southern Minnesota from NWS Chanhassen (Updated Daily)
• Cold Low 温度 on 8月19日-21 from Minnesota State Climatology Office
• Minnesota State Climatology Office statement on cold 8月 9-11 (8/11/2004)
• All Time Cold High Temperature at International Falls 来自NWS德卢斯（8/11/2004）

    二零零四年八月统计数字

Summer (June 1-8月 31) 2004 Statistics