Monday, May 11, 2009

Still too early to plant those tender plants & flowers

Don't let the daffodils and tulips fool you. Only the brave (and foolhardy) are planting annuals this early. Last night's patchy frost in the far, outlying suburbs of central and southern MN was a rude reminder that frost is quite prevalent across central Minnesota through the third week of May. The general rule of thumb holds: if you want to be ABSOLUTELY safe: wait until Memorial Day to plant your vegetable patch.

The average date of the LAST 32 degree low, at least for the MSP International Airport: April 29 (NWS data). Keep in mind that's just the average, mind you. Here is some additional data for towns across the area.


MEDIAN DATES OF CRITICAL LOW TEMPERATURE THRESHOLDS IN MINNESOTA
(Period of record 1948-2005)

DISTRICT MEDIAN DATE OF MEDIAN DATE OF DAYS BETWEEN
AND LAST MIN. TEMP FIRST MIN. TEMP MEDIAN DATES
STATION IN SPRING IN FALL
24 F 28 F 32 F 32 F 28 F 24 F 32 F 28 F 24 F

Aitkin       4/23  5/6    5/18   9/24  9/30  10/16  132   150   174
Brainerd 4/21 5/3 5/11 9/21 10/1 10/15 136 152 178
Cambridge 4/14 4/30 5/9 9/24 10/6 10/19 139 159 186
Cloquet 4/30 5/16 6/2 9/19 9/28 10/13 108 135 165
Forest Lake 4/11 4/22 5/3 10/5 10/17 10/28 156 175 199
Hinckley 4/21 5/6 5/19 9/22 9/28 10/12 125 148 175
Maple Plain 4/13 4/25 5/6 10/1 10/12 10/25 153 169 194
Milaca 4/18 5/1 5/12 9/25 10/3 10/19 138 155 184
MSP-Airport 4/9 4/16 4/29 10/7 10/20 11/3 161 187 209
Moose Lake 5/1 5/12 5/28 9/20 9/27 10/10 111 138 166
Mora 4/21 5/3 5/16 9/21 10/2 10/15 126 151 173
Pine River D 4/25 5/6 5/19 9/24 10/1 10/16 127 149 173
Sandy Lake D 4/23 5/4 5/15 9/24 10/2 10/20 129 153 178
Stillwater 4/9 4/16 5/1 10/7 10/18 11/2 163 185 208


Weather Headlines

* Sunday high of 57 in the Twin Cities with a trace of rain.

* Today looks significant warmer than Sunday, but the chance of bumping into a shower or thunderstorm increases later today, tonight and Tuesday.

* Windiest day of the week: probably Wednesday. Cool frontal passage whips up 30 mph+ gusts.

* Quiet, tranquil Thursday, another spirited round of showers (thunder?) Friday.

* Damp start possible Saturday, but rapid clearing expected - most of next weekend looks dry and seasonably mild.

Paul's Outlook

Monday: Sun giving way to partly cloudy skies. Slight chance of a late afternoon shower. Winds: S 5-10. High: near 70

Monday Night: Better chance of showers, possible thunder. Low: 56

Tuesday: Unsettled, more humid with a passing shower or heavier T-storm. High: 71

Wednesday: Showers taper early, turning windy and cooler. High: 68 (early), falling during the afternoon.

Thursday: Bright sun, very pleasant, a bit cooler. High: 65

Friday: More showers, risk of a storm or two. High: 67

Saturday: Damp start, then increasingly sunny. High: 63

Sunday: Probably the nicer day of the weekend (again). More sun, less wind. High: 68

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