REGIONAL— This past weekend’s warm spell didn’t break records, but that doesn’t make it any less impressive, particularly for mid-February. Virtually all reporting stations here in the North Country experienced at least five consecutive days with high temperatures above freezing, with temperatures 40 degrees or above on three or four of those days.
Extended warm spells in February aren’t unheard of historically in northern Minnesota, but they have become more common over the past few decades, according to state climatologist Kenny Blumenfeld.
While February is typically the second coldest month of the year here in the North Country, the longer days and higher sun angle can bring warm temperatures, particularly in the second half of the month. That’s particularly true in northern Minnesota, where the dark needles of pine, spruce, and fir trees absorb and radiate the sun’s infrared heat. This so-called “pine-tree effect” helps to boost surface temperatures in the region on sunny days and this latest warm spell served up plenty of sunshine and light winds.
The nice weather paled in comparison to the warm spell the region experienced from Feb. 16-21 back in 2017, when the temperatures topped 40 degrees on six consecutive days in International Falls (the region’s longest-running weather station), capped by an astonishing 58 degree reading on Feb. 17.
In 2024, the area saw three consecutive days above 40 degrees from Feb. 23-25.
In the wake of this week’s snowstorm, temperatures are expected to return to more seasonable temperatures for the rest of the month of February. The average high temperature in Tower for Feb. 20 is 26.5 degrees with an average low of minus 2.3 degrees.