Shining Times for Minnesotans

Tools

by John Walsh

Story Created: Aug 18, 2010 at 4:27 PM CDT

Story Updated: Aug 19, 2010 at 12:19 AM CDT

   Everything is going right for the state of Minnesota these days.   The Twins are leading their division and are solid contenders for a World Series run.  Brett Farve is back at camp and the Vikings are arguably one of the preseason front runners for a Super Bowl birth.  The Minnesota Wild land a three time Stanley Cup winner to solidify their roster for the upcoming NHL season. 
  Shoot, Minnesota is even leading in a weather category  they aren't necessarily known for and probably don't care to be. . .tornadoes.   The Land of a Thousand Lakes leads the country in tornadoes so far this year with 123 reported.  Texas  is lagging in second with 87,  with 12 of those associated with Hurricane Alex.  
   If you've been watching our weathercasts this Spring we've repreatedly noted how in late May  and early June, typically a time when tornadoes become more prolific here in Nebraska,  the storm track  and most of the energy associated with tornado formation,skipped northward into the Dakotas and Minnesota with widespread outbreaks.  . 
  A couple of things may have been at play here.  One, an unusually cool  lead-in to tornado season from the Gulf into the Central Plains.  A more stable atmosphere in the early weeks of tornado season kept the numbers down.  Two, a transition from an El Nino pattern kept the jet stream more active to the north of Nebraska, with most of the energy which gets storms to spin  shunted into the Dakotas, Minnesota and Wisconsin.  
  The tornado numbers are up in North and South Dakota as well, with devastating tornadoes even realized in Montana.   The 123 in Minnesota is unusual given their yearly average is only 19.  The numbers are preliminary and tend to get revised upon further analysis at the end of the year.  But for Minnesotans, the tea leaves seem to be aligning in all areas.   We'll see if the weather and sports worlds correlate.  Viking and Twins fans hope so. 

Most Popular

On Demand

This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled. Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.

Poll

Should the Boy Scouts allow gay scouts and leaders in troops?

  • Yes, allow both
  • No, they shouldn't allow either
  • Yes, allow gay scouts, but not leaders
  • Yes, allow gay leaders, but not scouts

Local Gas Prices

Lowest Gas Prices in Tri-Cities
Nebraska Gas Prices provided by GasBuddy.com

KHASTV on Facebook

Weather Closings