Why does Rochester have a colder Dfb climate compared to Minneapolis's Dfa?

[WoodburyWoody]

Originally Posted by Ghengis

being closer to the sun, Rochester should be significantly warmer...there's something else at work here, something sinister

Perhaps the human sacrifices have something to do with it.

[Uffda01]

Minneapolis blocks the wind for St. Paul?

[demtion35]

Originally Posted by Uffda01

Minneapolis blocks the wind for St. Paul?

That may be true, however it would depend mostly on the wind direction, mostly.

[davephan]

Another factor to consider is climate change, which is probably caused by long term natural climate changed rather than by man. The U of M determined that the east metro area, extending 10 miles west and 5 miles east of the St Croix river is in growing zone 5, not in growning zone 4B like it used to be about 20 years ago. The rest of the metro area is still growing zone 4B. Growing zone 5B is in central Iowa, with a small area of zone 5 running up the St Croix river. You'll also see some zone 5 plants are sold at some of the garden centers in the metro area. If you go back 20 years, no zone 5 plants were sold in garden centers, unless they were sold as strictly indoor plants.

If you compare how the climate has been in Minnesota in the past 20 years to how the climate was 20 to 60 years ago, there are large changes. Decades ago, in the winters, people used to do snow mobiling all winter in southern Minnesota. It's been many years where the people who like to snow mobile have to haul their snow mobiles up north to do snow mobiling. That didn't happen much decades ago. There's simply a lot less snow than there was decades ago.

If you watch the storm tracks during the summer months, most storms that are headed towards the metro area go north or south around the metro area. Once and awhile the storms go through the city. Most major snow storms track south of Minnesota, once and while through Minnesota.

Even though the winters are much less severe than they used to be in Minnesota, I'm fed up with the winters here and have a maximum of 3 more Minnesota winters left to go before I'm done with Minnesota, at least in the winters.

[tijlover]

^^

Back in the late 60's, in a cold January, as teenagers, we'd drive from Rochester to Lake City, and drive onto the Mississippi River/Lake Pepin, race cars, do spin-outs, and now with climate change, I'm guessing that would be too dangerous today.