>> Cathy: AT MID WEEK THERE WERE BLIZZARDS IN WESTERN MINNESOTA.

NEXT WEEK TEMPS COULD BE IN THE 80S.

WELCOME TO OUR WACKY WEATHER WORLD.

THIS YEAR'S RECORD SNOW PACK COMBINED WITH A QUICK MELT HAS FOLKS WORRIED ABOUT FLOODING TOO.

YOU CAN INCLUDE KENNY LUMEN FELD IN THAT GROUP OUR STATE CLIMATOLOGIST.

WE HAVE HAD IMPRESSIVELY PERSISTENT SNOW.

>> YEAH, SURE, WE HAD SNOW BASICALLY EVERY MONTH NOVEMBER THROUGH APRIL WE WERE AT LEAST IN THE TWIN CITIES DOUBLE DIGITS WHICH IS THE FIRST TIME WE'VE EVER DONE THAT.

WE ALSO HAD JUST A LOT OF SNOWSTORMS.

SO WE HAD IN THE TWIN CITIES I THINK WE'VE HAD SIX DIFFERENT STORMS WHERE WE HAD 8-INCHES OR MORE TOTAL AND THAT WAS ALSO A FIRST.

WE JUST AREN'T DONE THAT BEFORE, JUST REALLY PERSISTENT AND CONSISTENT SNOW >> Cathy: I WAS TALKING TO MARK SEALY OUR FRIEND ON THE AIR THIS MORNING ON MPR AND HE SAID WE'VE ALSO HAD RAIN EVENTS DURING THIS WINTER AND IF YOU ADDED THE RAIN, HAD THE RAIN BEEN SNOW HE SAID HE WOULD HAVE HAD ABOUT 140 INCHES OF SNOW.

>> YEAH, YEAH.

>> Cathy: UP TO 140 INCHES.

>> YEAH, SO WE HAD NOT JUST A LOT OF PRECIPITATION BUT A LOT OF RAIN.

ONE OF THE RAINIEST WINTERS WE'VE HAD.

WE KNOW IN DECEMBER OF 1982 WE KIND OF BROKE ALL THE RECORDS BECAUSE IT RAINED SO HARD RIGHT AROUND CHRISTMASTIME.

BUT THIS WINTER WE ALSO HAD JUST IKE WITH THE SNOW, WE PERSISTENT RAINFALL.

>> Eric: FLOODING POTENTIAL.

>> YEAH, WE'RE CONCERNED.

I MEAN, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE HYDROLOGISTS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ARE LOOKING AT, RAPID SNOW MELT, WE'VE GOT A HUGE SNOWPACK.

EVEN AFTER THE WEATHER PARTS OF WESTERN AND NORTHERN MINNESOTA HAVE FOUR, FIVE INCHES OF WATER KIND OF SITTING OUT THERE ON THE LAND.

THE CONCERN IS THAT THAT WATER'S ALL GOING TO COME OFF IN A HURRY.

WE HAD GREAT CONDITIONS THROUGH MARCH WHERE THE SNOW DIDN'T REALLY MOVE MUCH, IT WAS KIND OF TRICKLING OFF AND THAT WAS NICE.

BUT YOU KIND OF RUN OUT OF TIME BECAUSE AS YOU GET INTO APRIL THESE WARM PATTERNS AND BIG RAINS BECOME A LOT MORE LIKELY AND NOW THE CONCERN IS THAT IT'S ALL GOING TO OME OFF PRETTY QUICKLY AND THAT'S WHAT THE FORECASTERS ARE AT LEAST THINKING COULD HAPPEN NEXT WEEK.

YOU NEVER KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH WATER'S GOING TO GO INTO THE SOIL, ALL OF THAT.

BUT ALSO THE KIND OF SNOW RESERVOIR UP IN NORTHWEST WISCONSIN THAT PARTIALLY FEEDS THE ST. CROIX RIVER IS FULL RIGHT NOW, I MEAN, THERE'S SO MUCH SNOW UP THERE, 7, 8-INCHES OF WATER SITTING IN THE SNOW UP THERE, THAT'S GOING TO DRAIN INTO THE ST. CROIX WHICH IS WHY STRUCTURAL IS LOOKING AT SOME BIG FLOOD POTENTIAL.

>> Cathy: SO YOU MENTIONED WE HAD A LOT OF RAIN THIS WINTER AND IT SEEMS TO US THAT YOU GO LIKE FROM ZERO TO 60 FOR SPRING.

SPRING IS REALLY SHORT LIKE, BOOM, THEN IT'S DONE AND YOU GET THESE LANGUISHING FALLS, ARE WE TO ASSUME ALL OF THIS IS MIXED UP IN CLIMATE CHANGE?

>> WELL, IT'S, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE KIND OF FAMOUS FOR OUR VARIATIONS.

SO WE HAVE TO SAY SOME OF IT'S MIXED UP IN OUR HISTORY, RIGHT.

CLIMATOLOGY, WE'VE ALWAYS HAD ACCRUAL CLIMATOLOGY HERE WITH BIG SWINGS, LINGERING SEASONS, SUDDEN CHANGES, AND REALLY SHORT SPRING AND FALL OFTEN BECAUSE WINTER LASTS EALLY LONG THEN YOU GET A SHORT SPRING.

AND IF SUMMER LASTS REALLY LONG YOU GET A SHORT FALL.

THE CLIMATE CHANGE ELEMENT THAT WE'RE SEEING HERE IS THAT WINTER IS JUST A LOT WARMER THAN HISTORICALLY SNOWY WINTERS HAD BEEN.

SO THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS WE HAD SO MUCH WATER.

AND THAT OUR STORMS ARE COMING IN WETTER.

>> Eric: DOES WINTER WEATHER GIVE US ANY HINT WHAT'S TO COME IN THE SUMMER?

>> YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU STUDY CLIMATOLOGY, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE TO KIND OF CONSIDER IS HOW THE SEASONS DO AND DON'T RELATE TO EACH OTHER.

AND YOU'D LIKE IT TO BE REALLY CLEAN LIKE, OH, A COLD WEATHER MEANS SUMMER'S GOING TO BE THIS WAY BUT DOESN'T ALWAYS GO THAT WAY.

BUT ONE OF THE RELATIONSHIPS WE DO HAVE SOME EVIDENCE FOR IS THAT A SNOWY WINTER AND NOT ALWAYS BUT A SNOWY WINTER AND CAN AND I'D SAY IGHER THAN 50/50 FREQUENCY LEAD TO STORMY, EARLY AND KIND OF MID-SEVERE WEATHER SEASON.

THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE WATCHING.

WE CAN'T PREDICT IT BUT THERE'S CERTAINLY A RELATIONSHIP THERE.

1908S WERE VERY SNOWILY AND ALSO BLOCKBUSTER FOR SEVERE WEATHER.

>> Cathy: I WONDER WHAT WE SAW IN IOWA LAST WEEK.

THAT WAS AMAZING.

SOME BIG TORNADOES.

>> YEAH, THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU HAVE A SUPERCHARGED SPRING WEATHER SYSTEM WITH COLD AIR UP TO THE NORTH AND WARM AIR COMING UP FROM THE SOUTH.

>> Eric: THANK YOU, STATE CLIMATOLOGY.

>> ONE CORRECTION, LUIGI ROMO IS THE STATE CLIMATOLOGY.

>> LUIGI'S LIKE, WHAT?