Gray November Blues... What to Do?

We are over halfway through the month of November with all eyes toward Thanksgiving this week and the holidays in the weeks ahead. This time of year tends to gather us indoors around friends and family to celebrate together. With a lot of events, activities, and celebrations planned during this time of year, it may help alleviate the rather dark and gray weather that November and December have to offer.

Local climatology tells us November is the cloudiest month across Minnesota and Iowa. On average we will get 5 sunny days and 19 cloudy days, with the rest being a mixture of sunshine and clouds. During the late spring, summer, and early fall seasons, the sun angle is high enough in the sky to burn off many of the clouds. The higher sun angle combined with a "warmer" atmosphere often prevents the build up of significant cloud cover. However, as the atmosphere begins to 'chill out' and the jet stream (the river of air that carries storm systems across the country) plunges down to the south from Canada, more clouds form and can be seen for days on end.




Combine the cloudy days along with shortening daylight as we approach the winter solstice, you maybe feeling more 'blue' and tired. There is a good reason for this-- your body is actually having a reaction to the lack of sunlight. Melatonin, the hormone that helps the body in sleep-related processes increases with the lack of natural daylight. At the same time, serotonin, a natural brain chemical that can affect your mood, decreases as daylight decreases. The drop in serotonin along with the increase in melatonin can interfere with your mental health. The result in some people is the mood disorder called "SAD". SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder is a relatively common occurrence, especially among people in northern latitudes. Ding, ding, ding... Minnesota and Iowa are prime targets for this energy-zapping disorder.

November really is just the beginning for the blues and they can last all the way through a good portion of March. The most depressing day of the year has been 'calculated' to arrive in late January. The calculation involves a number of variables including weather, debt, monthly salary, distance from Christmas, motivation, along with a few other variables. With all of this somewhat negative news, what can be done to stop us from hitting this low point?

There are a number of ways to prevent the depression or tiredness from hitting its lowest point. Everyday activities such as eating, physical fitness, and simple laughter can help mitigate the length and severity of the winter blues. Many suggestions include plenty of fruits and vegetables, exercise for at least 20 minutes a day, and at least trying to expose some of your skin to sunlight when it is present. I, myself, try to get out and take a walk around noon-time and I've noticed this natural light does help improve my moods. Our bodies naturally crave high carbohydrate foods during the winter time, you know: the comfort foods! Potatoes, pastas, and sweets.These foods give you a temporary fix, but can lead to quick blood sugar crashes. It's better to stick with more complex carbohydrates including whole grains, fruits, and vegetables... the natural mood boosters.

The Mayo Clinic once again has an immensely helpful website when it comes to SAD. The website explains symptoms, causes, risk factors, prevention, treatments, and an assortment of other helpful links to SAD related information. If you think you might suffer from this disorder, or know someone else that may... definitely check out this website.

Good luck and maybe you should treat yourself to that winter vacation in Florida. It really is good for your health!

The Notorious Minnesota Winter

Albert Lea, MN

Photo Taken By Tim Engstrom

The first day of winter is only a little over a month away (12/21/08), and I've been warned (repeatedly) that I'm in for it. I trust what the locals say around here say. They've been right about everything thus far-- the SPAM burger is pretty good, the Asian beetles will attack in October, and people don't get much nicer than here, anywhere.

Now it hasn't been exactly a brutal fall... in fact, we set record highs several times. High temperatures exceeded 70 degrees in early November! I saw many people walking around in short-sleeves, even shorts and sandals. I began to become complacent... thinking this isn't so bad, is it? That quickly ended on November 7th when we saw an inch of snow and temperatures in the 20s. Reality check. It really can go from mild to wild, pretty quickly.

So my curious mind began to wonder... how bad are the winters in southern Minnesota? Could they be as bad as they say? I began digging through data and here is what I found:

Let's start out with some of the snowiest winters. I don't know about you, but I rather take the 'bad news' first, then see if there is any good news left to be found. I used the National Weather Service climate records from Rochester, MN.
Top 5 Snowiest Winter Seasons:
1. 84.6 " 1996-1997 -- That's over 7 feet of snow!
2. 77.5" 1950-1951
3. 74.5" 1961-1962
4. 73.6" 1951-1952
5. 73.3" 1978-1979

Top 5 One Day Snow Totals:
1. 19.8" March 18, 2005
2. 15.4" January 22, 1982
3. 13.0" April 26, 1988
4. 10.8" March 10, 1956
5. 10.6" November 25, 1952

Now to some of the more 'unimpressive' winters.

Top 5 Least Snowy Seasons
1. 9.1" 1967-1968
2. 10.5" 1913-1914
3. 17.5" 1924-1925
4. 19.4" 1930-1931
5. 20.5" 1910-1911

There have been several months that we have experienced little if any measurable snow! (at least in Rochester). Record books show that February of 1920 saw no measurable snow at all, not even a trace! March of 1981 and December 1943 saw only a trace. There are also a few months where we only saw a few tenths of an inch of snow (January 2006 & February 1954).

Sometimes the lack of snowfall comes at a price. Often times it means the jet stream is so far to the south that we are bitter cold, sunny, and bone dry. Record cold can take over for weeks at a time. Here is a look at some of the coldest winters here in southern Minnesota:

Top 5 Coldest Winters (Average Temperature for December-January-February)
1. 5.6 degrees 1978-1979
2. 6.3 degrees 1886-1887
3. 7.5 degrees 1887-1888
4. 8.0 degrees 1935-1936
5. 8.7 degrees 1977-1978

It's not too common to have two ugly and bitter cold winter's back to back, but that's exactly what happened in 1886-1888. Good thing none of us were around to experience that! That's COLD! & certainly makes for a well anticipated spring. I see why the summer months are so cherished and why everyone fears the upcoming cold season like the plague. However, there have been a few winters that have been in the "not so bad" category.

Top 5 Warmest Winters on Record
1. 26.3 degrees 1930-1931
2. 25.5 degrees 2001-2002
3. 24.7 degrees 1997-1998
4. 23.7 degrees 1986-1987
5. 23.4 degrees 1918-1919

Sometimes you can go from one of your coldest winter's (1916-1917 6th coldest) on record to the next year having one of your warmest years on record (1918-1919 5th warmest). The weather has so much variability, and that's why winter forecasting is so challenging... and yet at the same time so fun.

It's freezing here! (literally) when the average high temperature is below freezing from November 27th - March 2nd. That's over 3 months. Ouch! Sunshine comes at a premium, it [winter] is the cloudiest season we experience in Minnesota. There can be stretches of weeks where the sun doesn't make anything more than a 'guest appearance'.

So many of you now are probably posing the million dollar question: "So, what about this upcoming winter?" As a meteorologist it's my job to tell you there are a lot of variables that go into a winter forecast, and those variables can make or break a cold and snowy winter. Right now we are in a "Neutral" phase of the Enso cycle. This mean winter could literally go either way, warm, cold... or ... average. Anyone that tells you they truly can tell you what the winter will be like is lying. However, many make a good educated guess. NOAA (National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration) makes one every year... I mean it is your tax dollars at work here.

This is their winter forecast:

TEMPERATURE OUTLOOK (ABOVE)

PRECIPITATION OUTLOOK (ABOVE)

The government's educated guess is that we will see above average temperatures this winter with a 50/50 shot of having above normal precipitation (rain/sleet/snow). If you would like to see their full winter weather outlook you can find it here.

Winter always seem like the longest season and summer the shortest. If you like the cold and snow, I hope you have a banner year. For the rest of us: It's Minnesota. I have my movie stash, books, magazines, and that nagging "to-do list" to always be taking care of. Maybe I'll actually accomplish it this winter. Hopefully you will too.

Take care and stay warm. My next post will talk about the month of November, and the pesky clouds associated with it.

Steve

Hypothermia and Frostbite

BE READY, BE SAFE, BE PREPARED!

Hello everyone! Thanks for clicking onto my new blog site. Hopefully this blog will provide you with useful information on a variety of topics ranging from weather and climate to the local culture and current events of southern Minnesota and northern Iowa. I will start today's first post in relation to Winter Weather Awareness Week in the state of Minnesota (November 10th-14th). This week is dedicated to prepare you and your family for the challenges that winter offers, so that you will stay safe and be adequately prepared for when winter weather hit.

On average, 700 people lose their lives to hypothermia each year. Living in Minnesota, we are surrounded by beautiful lakes, parks, and recreational areas. This draws many of us outdoors at all times of year, including the colder winter months. During these winter months it is prudent to keep abreast of the current weather conditions and know the latest forecast (which can always be found at: KAAL-TV Weather). The Armistice Day storm of 1940 is a perfect example of people not being prepared for rapidly changing weather conditions.

The picture above shows cars buried under drifts of snow just west of Minneapolis along Excelsior Boulevard. Some of the drifts exceeded 20 feet!! You might not believe it, but the morning started off mild and cloudy with temperatures in the 50s. A powerful cold front blasted through Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin during the late morning accompanied by wind driven rain, which eventually turned into a raging sleet and snowstorm. Winds gusted between 50-80mph! as the storm system deepened off to the north and east. By the time all was said and done, some areas received over 16" of snow and 49 people from Minnesota lost their lives. Many duck hunters took the day off from work that morning, thinking that the mild weather would hold up. Those duck hunters accounted for half of the death toll in Minnesota.

Fortunately, much better technology exists today, so that we can receive and transmit messages easier. Television, computers, cell phones, and PDA devices allow for instant alerts to be issued to the public, so that meteorologists can convey severe weather watches and warnings and help save lives.

Hypothermia and Frostbite are preventable, given that you and your family are prepared!

The picture to the left shows what we all should be doing during a severe cold snap. Here are a few tips to prevent hypothermia and frostbite from affecting you:

1.) Try to cover all exposed areas of your skin, especially your extremities such as fingers, toes, nose, and ears.

2.)Layering clothing can also better defend yourself against the cold instead of just wearing one bulky layer.

3.) Mittens protect fingers better than gloves!

4.) Wear a winter hat! Most of your body heat is lost through your head

5.) Don't overdo it. Sweating outside causes your body to get wet. This can accelerate body cooling processes and drop your body temperature below healthy levels (98.6 degrees). Also, wear a water repellent outter layer that will repel any water from accruing on your clothing.

The Mayo Clinc has a great website dedicated to hypothermia and it's effects. I wanted to pass along to you the tips for prevention, because frostbite and hypothermia are preventable. The website has more information on symptoms, risk factors, complications, and treatments for hypothermia.

Thanks for taking the time to read today's blog. Stay warm and more importantly, SAFE! My next post will take a look at some of the winter climatology (including winter storms, blizzards, and cold) across the area.

-Steve