5:26 pm Wednesday, January 31, 2024
Temperatures in the western metro rose above 50 degrees on Wednesday, setting a record high temperature for January 31.
Walkers, bikers and runners headed to Medicine Lake in Plymouth to enjoy the January sunshine. It was a rare sight this time of year, especially with some people walking on the ice at the same time.
While Jan. 31 set a record, it won't be the warmest January on record, says New Hope weather forecaster Steve Rickers. But we are not far away.
Rickers said that low temperatures for about 10 days in January prevented this year from breaking records. The average temperature this month was about 21 degrees, while the average record temperature was about 28 degrees in 2003.
“I would say, in the 65 years I've been here, I've probably never had more than 10 days in the 50s in January,” Rikers said. “So, not much. But we get them.”
Cyclists take advantage of the unusually warm winter by cycling around Medicine Lake.
A number of golf courses across the state have opened temporarily thanks to warmer than average temperatures.
However, all courses we contacted in the CCX News viewing area, the northwest suburbs of the Twin Cities, remain closed at this time.
New hope
