June is On Track to Be the Driest Month in Minnesota in 110 Years

I have heard many times records were made to be broken. Here is one that I hope will not be broken! So far June 2021 is the driest month in Minnesota in 110 years of weather records at the Southern Research and Outreach Center at Waseca( SROC.) Even more shocking, June is typically our wettest month! The 30-year average rainfall for June is 5.38 inches while only .38 inches have been measures so far at SROC. For June alone we were 5 inches below normal. The driest June on record was .98 inches in 1961.

Temperatures last week were almost normal at 68.9 degrees which did help the moisture stress somewhat. That was only .1 degree above normal. It is not surprising with the high temperatures we are well above normal in Growing degree units. Last week we accumulated 136 growing degree units and our total since May 1 is 860 growing degree units. That is 18 percent above normal and ahead of last year's bumper crop when we had accumulated 786 growing degree units.

It is amazing when you think about how dry it has been that the corn and soybeans are even green yet. Just look at the lawns. It is not unusual during July and August to see a brown dormant lawn. It was just after Memorial Day weekend that the lawn out at the farm turned white before it went dormant. It was the weekend after when we had 25-mile per hour winds and actual temperatures of 100 degrees.

Looking at the long-range forecast there are a few chances for showers and thunderstorms but no widespread general rain. If there is a chance of rain there is hope, right?

11 of the Most Devastating Weather Disasters in Minnesota Throughout The Years

We might be full of lakes and "nice" but Minnesota has had its fair share of horrible and nasty weather. Throughout the years we've had floods, fires, storms that have crushed stadium roofs flat, and tornadoes that have destroyed lives.

These Are the 20 Safest Cities in Minnesota in 2021

Everyone wants the place they call home to be a safe place where we can go relax at the end of the day. According to Safewise, these are the 20 safest cities in the state of Minnesota for 2021.