As Minnesotans emptied their closets in search of lighter jackets this December, history was quietly not just repeating, but thawing out the record books. The state is experiencing an unusual warmth that is drawing comparisons to the 1877-78 winter, a period so mild it was dubbed "Year Without a Winter," as per the Department of Natural Resources.
The current conditions have vastly surpassed expectations. "Yep," began climatologist Pete Boulay, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources resident climate historian, "Year without a winter." Meteorologist Cody Matz indicated that the warmth is reminiscent of that historic 1877 spell, though the need to swiftly pivot in our interpretation of the weather's caprice remains; winter may still flaunt its chill in the coming months. "I remember standing like this middle of January 2019 thinking all winter must be over," Boulay said, according to Fox 9.
"The almost entire absence of snow has been somewhat detrimental to business generally," read one Minneapolis observer's report from February 1878, suggesting that, historically, what might to some appear as a meteorological miracle, was, in reality, a logistical nightmare. These historic observations are to be sharply remembered as we attempt to forecast what such unusual weather could entail for Minnesota's economy and day-to-day life today, as reported by the Department of Natural Resources.
