Talia Zadeh
Assistant Editor-in-Chief
With the new year well on its way, it’s time to reflect on 2010. Not the memories or activities that occurred, but the extreme weather changes and natural disasters. Minnesota weather got so intense that the Metrodome, with the ceiling rip and all, made national news. There were many more stories about Minnesota weather that didn’t get touched on, so here are a collection of 5 impressive natural feats of the past year.
#5 Flooding – Sep. 22-23
It was the largest flood to hit southern MN since 2007. According to the National Weather Service Observer, rainfall totalled 10.68 inches at Amboy. Overflowing rivers and streams flow from their banks and flooded neighborhoods in parts of Owatonna, Pine Island, Pipestone, Truman, St. James, Zumbro Falls, and many more. 80% of homes in Truman had a foot of water in their homes. Many highways, such as I-35 and 169, were closed due to water. Parts of 169 in between St. Peter and LeSueur was destroyed due to the rise in the Minnesota River.
#4 Tornadoes
During 2010, Minnesota had the most tornadoes in the nation, according to the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center, the state had 145 tornadoes. On Jun. 17, 48 of the tornadoes were produced making it the day with the most tornadoes in Minnesota’s history..
#3 Record low pressure – Oct. 26
The lowest pressure recorded was 28.21 inches at 5:13 pm at Bigfork, Itasca. The old record was 28.43 inches on Nov. 10, 1998 at Albert Lea. Due to the lower pressure, water at Bigfork at 5:13 would boil three degrees lower than it would with normal pressure. The system did lack sufficent moisture, but there were some very strong winds. The strongest wind gust reported was 65mph at Georgeville in Stearns County.
#2 Snowless Mar.
Despite our recent increase in Snowfall, Mar. of 2010 was the least snowy month since 1891. Zero snowfall was measured at the Twin Cities International Airport. The ‘snowiest’ place in the Minnesota in March was International Falls with a two tenths of an inch of snowfall for the entire month.
#1 Blizzard – Dec. 10-11
This blizzard will be remembered as the one that destroyed the Metrodome. With a record of 17 inches of snow, it is the biggest snowstorm on record for Dec., and the fifth largest in the Twin Cities dating back to 1891. The enormous storm blanketed central and southern Minnesota with 4 to 12 inches of snow. The Twin Cities International Airport had to close for many hours due to heavy snow and low visibility. Due to the fairly high water content of the snow, it was difficult to shovel and move, making some streets un-plowable.
From the snowy storms to the windy tornadoes, Minnesota’s weather this year has been quite varied. Minnesotans will simply have to wait and see what extreme weather 2011 will bring.