Image credit: MNDNR State Climatology Office
November 14-16, 2023 brought temperatures soaring 20-25 degrees above normal across the state, giving golfers another shot at a tee-time and delaying the winter-coat season. Normal high temperatures for mid-November in Minnesota are in the mid-30s to low 40s, so it was more like early October in the state.
Warm and dry air surged northward out ahead of a low pressure system in northern Manitoba. The warm front from this system was north of the International border. It was windy at times too, with gusty southerly winds on the 14th and especially the late afternoon and evening of the 16th. November 15th had lighter winds.
The warmest days were Tuesday and Thursday, November 14th and 16th, with only a small dip in temperatures on the 15th following a weak cold front.
The Twin Cities set a record of 69 degrees F on the 16th, breaking the old record of 68 set in 1931 and 1953. It was also the second highest maximum temperature so late in the season, behind 71 degrees F on November 17, 1953. Many places in Minnesota saw 50s and 60s from November 14-16, including a daily record of 58 F at International Falls on the 14th.
As the cold front passed, temperatures tumbled. St. Cloud fell 13 degrees in one hour from 62 degrees to 49 degrees from 3-4 pm with a wind gust from the northwest of 39mph. The Twin Cities had a peak daily wind gust of 48mph from the northwest around 6pm. The highest known peak wind gust reported by the Duluth National Weather Service was 66 mph at Grand Marais.
November 17, 2023