St. Cloud Sets Numerous Weather Records in 2012

ST. CLOUD -- It may not feel like it outside right now, but St. Cloud ended 2012 as having the second warmest calendar year since record keeping began in 1881.

The average St. Cloud temperature in 2012 was 47.1 degrees, or 4.2 degrees above normal.

The average high temperature was also warmer than normal and set a record for the warmest average high temperature at 58.2 degrees, or 5.2 degrees above normal.

The very warm year set a number of records including the earliest ever 50-degree high temperature set on January 3rd and the warmest low temperature in March at 61 degrees. In all, 43 daily record warm temperatures were either broken or tied.

Many people will remember 2012 as the year of the drought. Overall, St. Cloud had 25 inches of precipitation last year. That's only 2.7 inches below normal, but it's misleading because we experienced the second wettest May on record. The June through November period saw the lowest precipitation total ever recorded for that time period at 9.32 inches.