Drought in Minnesota, December 1 to 31, 2006

Name: Drought in Minnesota, December 1 to 31, 2006
Start: 2006-12-01T00:00
End: 2006-12-31T23:59
Location: Minnesota

December 1 to 31, 2006 · NWS DLH · 15 events in 15 counties and zones

S. Drought Monitor.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 15 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 15

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS DLH wrote it up.

Exteme drought conditions continued to plague all of northeastern Minnesota this December, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Most of the region has been in this status since July. Lake Superior was still at its lowest level since 1926. Many area streams and rivers were at very low streamflows through December. Duluth reported its third |brown (snow depth of a trace or less) Christmas in history, and its first Christmas with a snow depth of zero.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Duluth, MN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 30, 10:34 PM CST, 1 hour 26 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 30, 10:34 PM CST, 1 hour 26 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
1034 PM CST THU NOV 30 2006

.UPDATE...WINDS HAVE SWITCHED TO THE EAST OFF OF LAKE SUPERIOR.
LES SHOWERS ARE NOW AFFECTING THE NORTH SHORE...AND LESS ON THE
SOUTH SHORE. HAVE UPDATED GRIDS/ZONES TO ACCOUNT FOR THE SNOW
SHOWERS.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... (ISSUED 853 PM CST THU NOV 30 2006)

UPDATE...LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS ARE LINGERING JUST OFF SHORE OF
NW WI PORTION OF THE FA. LIGHT SNOW BEING REPORTED BY THE OBSERVER
IN GILE WI. STILL A BIT OF LOW LEVEL SHEAR TO OVERCOME BEFORE THE
SNOW SHOWERS ARE ABLE TO MOVE ONSHORE MORE FULLY. HAVE UPDATED TO
ADD SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS FROM NORTHERN DOUGLAS COUNTY EAST TO
HURLEY. ALSO LOWERED MIN TEMPS IN SOME AREAS WHERE PREVIOUS
FORECASTED MIN TEMPS HAVE BEEN REACHED.

PREV DISCUSSION... (ISSUED 343 PM CST THU NOV 30 2006)

DISCUSSION...WELL THE MONTH HAS ENDED WITH THE COLDEST DAYTIME
MINIMUM/MAXIMUM FOR MANY AREAS.ALTHOUGH A FEW FLURRIES FELL ACROSS
NORTHERN PARTS OF THE CWA MOST LOCATIONS HAD ABUNDANT SUNSHINE TODAY.
AN EXCEPTION WAS OVER THE SNOWBELT FROM BAYFIELD COUNTY SE TO
ASHLAND/IRON COUNTIES WHERE LIGHT SNOW OCCURRED COURTESY OF THE
BDRY LAYER NW FLOW ACROSS THE LAKE. INCIDENTALLY THE 4 SNOW TOTAL
AT THE DLH AIRPORT THIS MONTH MAKES IT THE 9TH LEAST SNOWIEST NOVEMBER
SINCE RECORDS BEGAN IN 1943 AT THAT LOCATION.

TONIGHT...
CHALLENGING FORECAST OWING TO DEVELOPMENT OF ONSHORE COMPONENT
INTO ERN CWA OVERNIGHT. BDRY LAYER MOISTENS RAPIDLY AFTER MIDNIGHT
AS TRAJECTORY ACROSS SUPERIOR ORIGINATES OVER ERN END OF LAKE.12Z
GFS FCST 100/85H SHEAR JUST ABOVE 30 DEGREES WITHIN THE LAYER
MAKING ORGANIZATION OF PLUMES RATHER DIFFICULT. HAVING SAID
THAT..CANT IGNORE RAPID INCREASE IN BDRY LAYER MOISTURE AND
LAKE/85H DELTA T OF APPROXIMATELY 13C.WOULD EXPECT SNOW SHOWER
POTENTIAL TO INCREASE BY EARLY MORNING ANYWHERE FROM SOUTH SHORE
NORTHWARD TOWARDS SRN LAKE COUNTY. EVEN MORE FAVORABLE LL CYCLONIC
FLOW WILL DEVELOP ACROSS EASTERN CWA SO EXPECT ADDITIONAL LAKE
SNOW INTO NRN ASHLAND COUNTY OVERNIGHT. TEMPS WILL START TO LEVEL
OFF NEAR MIDNIGHT ACROSS LAKE INFLUENCED NEARSHORE ZONES WITH BOTH
MAV/MET INDICATING THIS TREND. ELSEWHERE ANOTHER COLD NIGHT
ESPECIALLY OVER CENTRAL ZONES AS RELATIVE WEDGE OF SFC HIGH
PRESSURE WILL SETTLE IN. FAR WESTERN AREAS OF THE CWA WILL HAVE A
FEW HIGH CLOUDS SNEAK IN BY EARLY MORNING.

TOMORROW...
AS MID LVL TROF WITH ASSOCIATED SFC REFLECTION TRAVERSE ALONG
CANADIAN BORDER AREA OF ONSHORE CLOUDS/SNOW OVER ERN CWA SHOULD
GRADUALLY LIFT NORTH. FORCING FOR PRECIPITATION IS QUITE WEAK
WITH NEXT SYSTEM AS SUGGESTED BY ALMOST NONEXISTENT ISENTROPIC
ASCENT WITHIN 270-280K LAYER.ALTHOUGH CONDENSATION PRESSURE
DEFICITS ARE QUITE LOW THE PRESSURE ADVECTION JUST ISNT AVAILABLE.
IN THE 290K SURFACE THE STRONGER PRESS ADVECTION AND THE
CONDENSATION PRESSURE DEFICITS ARE FORECAST TO BE OUT OF
SYNC...LOTS OF CLOUDS...LITTLE SNOWFALL.

FRIDAY NIGHT/WEEKEND...
AFTER 50H TROF SLIDES EAST YET ANOTHER REINFORCING SURGE OF ARCTIC
AIR WILL MOVE IN. EXPECT A BETTER CHANCE OF LES SATURDAY AS DEEPER
CYCLONIC CIRCULATION FOSTERS A BETTER MOISTURE PROFILE. LAKE
INSTABILITY INCREASES AS 85H TEMPS FALL TO -15C/-18C WITH LAKE
TEMPS STILL AROUND 2-3C. MDLS SUGGEST BETTER ORGANIZATION OF
PLUMES MAY DEVELOP AS SHEAR WITHIN LOWEST 5K FT IS MINIMAL.ALTHOUGH
TOO DIFFICULT TO PINPOINT AT THIS POINT MOST FAVORABLE PARAMETERS
SEEM TO COME TOGETHER SATURDAY AFTERNOON INTO EARLY SUNDAY.

EXTENDED....GFS/ECMWF FAIRLY CLOSE OVERALL UNTIL TUESDAY. AT THAT POINT
GFS MAINTAINS MUCH COLDER AIR OVER CWA WITH 85H TEMPS ANYWHERE
FROM 10-14C COOLER THAN ECMWF.ENSEMBLES SUPPORT A PATTERN SLIGHTLY
MORE PROGRESSIVE THAN OP GFS HOWEVER OVERALL CONFIDENCE IS TOO
LOW AT THIS POINT.

DLH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...

MN...NONE.
WI...NONE.
LS...NONE.

&&

.DLH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...

MN...NONE.
WI...NONE.
LS...NONE.

GSF

Hazardous weather outlook, Nov 30, 5:18 PM CST, 6 hours 42 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
518 PM CST THU NOV 30 2006

LSZ121-140>148-162-MNZ010>012-018>021-025-026-033>038-WIZ001>004-
006>009-011330-
BAYFIELD TO OAK POINT WI-GRAND PORTAGE TO GRAND MARAIS MN-
GRAND MARAIS TO TACONITE HARBOR MN-
TACONITE HARBOR TO SILVER BAY HARBOR MN-
SILVER BAY HARBOR TO TWO HARBORS MN-TWO HARBORS TO DULUTH MN-
DULUTH MN TO PORT WING WI-PORT WING TO SAND ISLAND WI-
SAND ISLAND TO BAYFIELD WI-OAK POINT TO SAXON HARBOR WI-
OPEN WATERS OF LAKE SUPERIOR WEST OF A LINE FROM SAXON HARBOR WI
TO GRAND PORTAGE MN-KOOCHICHING-NORTHERN ST. LOUIS-
NORTHERN COOK/NORTHERN LAKE-NORTHERN ITASCA-CENTRAL ST. LOUIS-
SOUTHERN LAKE/LAKESHORE-SOUTHERN COOK/LAKESHORE-NORTHERN CASS-
SOUTHERN ITASCA-SOUTHERN CASS-CROW WING-NORTHERN AITKIN-
SOUTHERN AITKIN-CARLTON/SOUTHERN ST. LOUIS-PINE-DOUGLAS-BAYFIELD-
ASHLAND-IRON-BURNETT-WASHBURN-SAWYER-PRICE-
518 PM CST THU NOV 30 2006

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST MINNESOTA...
NORTHWEST WISCONSIN AND WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TONIGHT.

GSF

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

15 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Central St. Louis

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Central St. Louis forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 47.590, -92.461 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Crow Wing

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Crow Wing forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 46.482, -94.071 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Koochiching

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Koochiching forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 48.245, -93.783 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Northern Aitkin

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Northern Aitkin forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 46.608, -93.415 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Northern Cass

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Northern Cass forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 46.950, -94.325 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Northern Cook / Northern Lake

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Northern Cook / Northern Lake forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 47.670, -90.975 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Northern Itasca

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Northern Itasca forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 47.510, -93.632 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Northern St. Louis

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Northern St. Louis forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 47.590, -92.461 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Pine

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Pine forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 46.121, -92.741 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Southern Aitkin

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Southern Aitkin forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 46.608, -93.415 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Southern Cass

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Southern Cass forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 46.950, -94.325 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Southern Cook

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Southern Cook forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 47.817, -90.541 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Southern Itasca

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Southern Itasca forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 47.510, -93.632 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Southern Lake

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Southern Lake forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 47.557, -91.935 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Southern St. Louis / Carlton

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Southern St. Louis / Carlton forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 47.091, -92.569 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Drought: A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Minnesota in 2006 Every state in 2006 This day in weather history Warnings in Minnesota, December 2006

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 8659, 8660, 8661, 8662, 8663, 8664, 8665, 8666, 8667, 8668, 8669, 8670, 8671, 8672, 8673.