By DJ Kayser, filling in for Paul Douglas:
The World Meteorological Organization released its yearly State of the Global Climate report, and its findings show that 2024 likely saw a global average temperature 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above the preindustrial era (1850-1900), the first time this has occurred. It was the warmest year since 1850, and each of the last 10 years have been the 10 warmest on record.
We just missed out on a snowstorm in the Twin Cities on Wednesday as heavy snow and whiteout conditions impacted Iowa and southeastern Minnesota. We’ll see mainly quiet weather through the first part of the weekend before a system brings a rain and snow mix Saturday night into Sunday. Highs through next week will generally be in the 40s and 50s. Through Tuesday, MSP was sitting at the seventh warmest March to date on record.
The vernal equinox occurred Thursday morning at 4:01 a.m., marking the start of astronomical spring! Today we have 12 hours and 13 minutes of daylight in the Twin Cities, and we will continue to gain daylight until the summer solstice in June.
