Friday, May 9, 2014

Minneapolis Climate Controls & Why Almost Anywhere Else has Better Weather


Image compliments of: 
http://www.netstate.com/states/geography/mapcom/mn_mapscom.htm

Climate controls:


          On the regional level, Minneapolis is situated in a very interesting crux of notable geographic features, none of which actually call Minneapolis their home. Regionally, Minneapolis weather is affected by the Great Lakes to the east, namely Lake Superior, and the Canadian Rockies to the west. Minnesota is also known as the land of 10,000 lakes, which contribute to the extreme colds and the moderate summers. During the winter months, Minneapolis is dominated by the Continental Polar air mass, and during the summer months, the Continental Polar air mass competes with the Continental Tropic air mass for dominance. On the more local, or micro level, Minneapolis is fortunate to be home to many parks and lakes, taking up 10 square miles of the city’s territory. Despite this, the Minneapolis area is still considered an Urban Heat Island. Minneapolis has a beautiful skyline and the city is massive, at 58.4 square miles. Coupled with the fact that Minneapolis is also the land of suburbs and a twin among the twin cities, the city actually finds itself in the middle of a giant urban sprawl with freeways running in every direction imaginable. This giant sprawl of urban life throws the natural balance of energy out of whack, as the city absorbs and stores more heat than the natural landscape would. Even more specifically, the University of Minnesota weather station is located in the middle of downtown Minneapolis, which is neither close to irrigated land, water masses, or industrial outputs, but is almost in the dead center of the urban heat island, which could and certainly does affect their specific climatological measurements.

Trendy Temperatures:
Yes, we noticed.

Graph compliments of:
   http://www.city-data.com/us-cities/The-Midwest/Minneapolis-Geography-and-Climate.html
 
Graph compliments of me, information gathered from Weather Underground Historical Records.

Graph compliments of: http://weatherspark.com/averages/30956/Minneapolis-Minnesota-United-States 

Minneapolis has a typical continental climate, characterized by cold winters and warm summers. This is typical for most of the Upper Midwest of the United States. Minneapolis receives precipitation year round, most of which comes in the form of rain, with elevated measurements in the warmer months from the snowmelt. Looking at the first graph, you can see that there is a relatively even split of months below and above 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Looking at graphs two and three, you can see that cold winters are usually coupled with cooler summers, and likewise, warmer winters are coupled with hot summers. 
And Finally: 
Why almost anywhere else is better
(http://whistlerbcweather.blogspot.com/)

            If ever in doubt, let us compare Minneapolis, MN to Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. Both Whistler and Minneapolis are affected by the mP, A, and cP air masses. Whistler is affected by the mT air mass whereas Minneapolis is only affected by the cT. Another difference in wind patterns between the two cities is that Whistler does not suffer through as many mid-latitude cyclones as Minneapolis. Ironically, most mid-latitude cyclones that form near Whistler head southwest and hit Minneapolis. The main reason for this is that Minneapolis is south of most polar fronts, whereas Whistler is actually protected by these strong winds.
In looking at the topography of both cities, there are several major differences that influence the overall climate. First off, Whistler is situated in the Canadian Rockies, where as Minneapolis is in the middle of the flatlands of the American Midwest. This also contributes to Alberta Clippers affecting Minneapolis and not Whistler. Another huge difference, is the proximity to the ocean, Whistler is much closer to the pacific ocean where as the nearest large body of water that affects Minneapolis is Lake Superior, which is to the east, and has a much lesser effect on the Minneapolis climate than the moisture from the western pacific has on Whistler. This all cumulates into the noticeable, perceptible differences in the day-to-day weather of these cities.
Both cities have a similar overall climate; both cities have cold winters and warm summers. A key difference is that Whistler receives the majority of its moisture in the winter, whereas Minneapolis receives most of its moisture in the warmer summer months. A key reason for this is that Whistler is warmer overall than Minneapolis. The cold months in Minneapolis make it nearly impossible for moisture to accumulate enough for any precipitation. On the flip side, during the winter months in Whistler, cool and moist air from the pacific is forced over the mountains and allows for plenty of rain and snow.