>> Eric: GET THIS.

WHEN THE PRODUCERS CONFIRMED OUR NEXT GUEST HE WASN'T SURE IF THE ARMEST WINTER ON RECORD, ONGOING DROUGHT, MARCH TEMPERATURES IN THE 60S AND 70S WERE ENOUGH TO FILL THE NEXT FIVE MINUTES ON "ALMANAC."

BUT HE SAID HE'D DO HIS BEST.

PAUL DOUGLAS IS HERE.

IN ADDITION TO HIS MONTHLY VISITS TO THE ALMANAC TABLE YOU CAN READ HIS WEATHER WISDOM IN THE STAR TRIBUNE AND CATCH HIM ON CO RADIO AND IN HIS FREE TIME HE HEADS HIS OWN WEATHER COMPANY PRAEDICTIX.

>> PLEASE DON'T ADJUST YOUR SET.

>> Eric: WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THIS -- MUSIC HERE?

>> IT'S EL NINO.

THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU HAVE A SUPER -- I WAS CLEAN SHAVEN FOR THE HOLIDAYS.

>> Eric: WE HAVE A MORE SPECIFIC REASON TO GET RIGHT TO THE DECK OF SLIDES.

>> WE DO.

ERIC, CATHY, I NEVER THOUGHT IN MY LIFETIME I WOULD EXPERIENCE A WINTER LIKE WE JUST HAD.

I THOUGHT MAYBE MY KIDS OR MY GRANDBOYS, MY GRANDSONS WILL SOMEDAY EXPERIENCE A YEAR WITH NO WINTER.

IT REALLY WAS.

LET'S GO TO THE VIDEOTAPE.

>> Eric: YES, SIR.

>> Cathy: YES.

>> ONE OF THE SHORTEST ICE SEASONS.

IF YOU BLINKED, IF YOU SNEEZED YOU MISSED THE ICE SEASON.

WHAT, A WEEK FOR MINNEAPOLIS ICE RINKS THIS WINTER?

THAT'S UNHEARD OF.

HERE ARE SOME OF HE STATS, BULLET POINTS.

YES, WARMEST WINTER ON RECORD FOR MINNESOTA FOR THE ENTIRE U.S., FOR ALL OF CANADA.

WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT WE HAD ONE REALLY COLD WEEK BACK IN MID-JANUARY.

ONE WINTRY WEEK.

18 DAYS SINCE DECEMBER 1ST TO MARCH 1ST WITH HIGHS OF 50-PLUS.

THE OLD RECORD WAS 8 DAYS.

WE HAD 18.

SIX SUBZERO NIGHTS DURING THAT ONE WEEK IN MID-JANUARY.

THE AVERAGE FOR THE METRO IS 19 SUBZERO NIGHTS.

THAT'S THE ROLLING 30-YEAR AVERAGE.

14.3-INCHES OF SNOW.

SECOND-LEAST ON RECORD.

LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME WE HAD ALREADY SEEN OVER 80 INCHES.

IT'S LIKE I CAN'T BELIEVE WE'RE LIVING IN THE SAME PLACE.

WHY WAS IT SO WARM, PAUL?

NATURAL CYCLES, THE BIGGEST ONE BEING A VERY STRONG EL NINO WHICH TENDS TO SHIFT THE STORM TRACK SOUTH AND IT TENDS TO FLOOD THE ZONE, NORTH AMERICA, WITH MILD PACIFIC AIR.

THAT AND EXPERTS SAY DON'T DISCOUNT THE BACKGROUND WARMING OF THE ATMOSPHERE AND THE OCEANS.

AND YOU CAN SEE THAT TREND TO THE RIGHT AND WHERE WE ARE IN THE UPPER RIGHT.

WINTERS, ESPECIALLY EAST OF THE ROCKIES THE WARMING HAS BEEN ACCELERATING SINCE 1974.

MINNESOTA AND WISCONSIN WINTERS 4, 5-DEGREES WARMER THAN HEY WERE BACK IN THE MID-'70S.

NORTHERN MINNESOTA IT'S MORE LIKE 6, 7 DEGREES WARMER.

THAT'S WHERE THE WARMING SIGNAL IS SHOWING UP THE MOST, NOT DURING THE SUMMER, DURING THE WINTER.

AND OCEAN WATER TEMPERATURES ARE OFF THE SCALE.

HURRICANE FORECASTERS CONCERNED WHAT THAT COULD MEAN ESPECIALLY FOR THE GULF COAST, FLORIDA, AND THE EAST COAST.

A LOT OF FUEL FOR POSSIBLY STRONGER HURRICANES THIS FALL.

THE ONE THING WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT HERE IN MINNESOTA.

WE'RE HEADING INTO A LA NINA COOL PHASE LATER THIS YEAR.

WE ARE UNDER A LA NINA WATCH, CORDING TO NOAA.

COLDER AND SNOWIER NEXT WINTER.

I WOULD BET A KETCHUP STAINED KIRK COUSINS VIKINGS JERSEY THAT NEXT WINTER WON'T LOOK ANYTHING LIKE THIS WINTER.

>> Eric: REALLY?

NOT THE NEW NORMAL?

>> NO, THIS IS AN EXTREME EXAMPLE OF WHAT YOU GET WITH A VERY TRONG EL NINO COUPLED WITH ACCELERATING BACKGROUND WARMING OF THE OCEANS AND ATMOSPHERE.

87% OF MINNESOTA IN MODERATE TO SEVERE DROUGHT.

WE'VE BEEN IN DROUGHT FOR THE BETTER PART OF THREE YEARS.

2019 WAS THE WETTEST YEAR ON RECORD STATEWIDE ND WE THOUGHT THAT WAS THE NEW NORMAL.

AND THEN TALK ABOUT WEATHER WHIPLASH.

I'M WORRIED ABOUT THE DROUGHT INTENSIFYING IN SCOPE AS WE HEAD INTO THE UMMER MONTHS.

WE'LL SEE.

THE PATTERN COULD CHANGE QUICKLY.

30S, IT'S ACTUALLY GOING TO FEEL LIKE LATE FEBRUARY SUNDAY AND MONDAY.

NO BIG STORMS, BUT HE MODEL'S HINTING A LITTLE SLUSH BY THE END OF NEXT WEEK.

A WEEK FROM TODAY, NEXT FRIDAY SOME SLUSHY POSSIBILITIES.

I'M KIND OF BUMMED I PULLED OUT THE DRIVEWAY STAKES.

I THINK THAT -- >> Cathy: THAT MEANS WE'RE GONNA GET SNOW NOW.

>> WELL, THIS WAS APRIL OF 2018 WHEN WE HAD TWO STORMS BACK TO BACK, 26 SNARKS INCHES OF SNOW.

THAT'S WHAT CAN HAPPEN.

AND ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES DJ KAISER AT PRAEDICTIX REMINDED ME, PAUL, THERE HAVE BEEN 44 WINTERS WHERE AFTER MARCH 15TH THE METRO PICKED UP 10 INCHES OR MORE.

BACK IN 1983 IT WAS 36 INCHES OF SNOW AFTER MARCH 15TH!

SO I THINK WE MIGHT SEE -- >> Cathy: NOT THIS YEAR, THOUGH.

>> YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW.

I DOUBT IT BUT NEVER SAY NEVER.

I'M CONCERNED ABOUT DROUGHT EXPANDING AND BECOMING MORE INTENSE.

THE MODEL'S HINTING AT AN EXTRA HOT SUMMER.

MORE SEVERE HURRICANES PERHAPS WITH THIS WARMER OCEAN WATER AND NEXT WINTER WON'T LOOK ANYTHING LIKE THIS WINTER.

I HINK WE GO BACK INTO A NORMAL WINTER NEXT YEAR.

WE JUST GOT A GLIMPSE.

THIS ISN'T THE NEW NORMAL BUT I THINK IT WAS A PROBLEMONITION OF WHAT A LOT OF WINTERS MAY LOOK LIKE 30, 50, 70 YEARS DEPENDING ON WHAT HAPPENS WITH GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS.

ONE SILVER LINING.

ONE SILVER LINING.

CONSTRUCTION SEASON CAME EARLY THIS YEAR AND I AM JAZZED FOR THAT.

>> Eric: AND HIGH SCHOOL SPRING SPORTS, TRACK AND FIELD AND BASEBALL.

>> Cathy: TRUE.

>> YEAH!

I SAW SAIL BOATS, FISHING BOATS DRIVING OVER TO ST. PAUL THIS EVENING.

WHERE ARE WE