'I remember the Year Without a Winter'

It won’t be like this every winter going forward, but the El Nino winters may be extra-mild and snow-free

The Minnesota Star Tribune
February 3, 2024 at 1:30AM
It rained a lot in Minnesota in the winter of 2023-24. (Paul Douglas/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

”I remember the Year Without a Winter. I think it was ‘23-24? It rained in December. A lot. Dirty-green lawns at Christmas. Dribs and drabs of snow. Minneapolis ice rinks were open for less than a week. Lake ice formed late and remained sketchy. People were golfing in late January.” At this point my future great-grandson shrugs and looks down at his 3-D Holographic iPhone36.

Welcome to the mildest meteorological winter on record. December and January were more than 10 degrees warmer than average. Birds are chirping. And yes, it’s probably too early for spring clean-up.

Ignore my advice and enjoy more 40s into next week. By the middle of next week a few more 50-degree days are possible. It will, in theory, on paper, be cold enough for snow by mid-February, but will a raging El Nino keep most of the big, wet storms south of Minnesota into April?

Yes, we’re having half a winter this year. It won’t be like this every winter going forward, but the El Nino winters may be extra-mild and snow-free. Early spring? Hahaha.

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