>> CATHY: BIG SHOW FOR YOU TONIGHT.

THE 2024 LEGISLATIVE SESSION BEGAN ON MONDAY AND WE'LL SPEND PART OF THE NEXT HOUR LOOKING AT THE FIRST WEEK ACTION WITH LEGISLATIVE LEADERS AND A DEBATE ON SPORTS BETTING.

PLUS KAOMI LEE TRAVELED TO COOK COUNTY TO FIND OUT HOW THIS WINTER'S LACK OF SNOW AND COLD HAS IMPACTED TOURISM IN THE NORTHEASTERN CORNER OF THE STATE.

>> ERIC: THE WIMPY WINTER WEATHER IS WHERE WE START TONIGHT.

THE BIG SNOWFALL OVERNIGHT WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY BROUGHT A TOTAL OF 6.9 INCHES TO THE TWIN CITIES.

THAT WAS A RECORD AMOUNT FOR THE DATE BUT DIDN'T EVEN DOUBLE THE SEASON'S SNOW TOTAL AT THE MINNEAPOLIS/ST.

PAUL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.

AND THE COLD TEMPS THAT FOLLOWED THE SNOW SET A 24-DAY RECORD PERIOD OF TIME WITH TEMPS ABOVE FREEZING FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR.

KENNY BLUMENFELD IS A SENIOR CLIMATOLOGIST FOR MINNESOTA'S DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES.

WELCOME BACK TO "ALMANAC."

OUR LONG JANUARY THAW IS OVER.

>> A JANUARY THAW THAT LASTS UNTIL VALENTINE'S DAY.

THAT WAS SOME THAW >> >> WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE SNOW, WHY DID THAT OCCUR?

>> WE FINALLY GOT A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WITH MOISTURE IN IT TO COME THROUGH THE REGION AND IT WAS ONLY REALLY THE SOUTHERN THIRD OR SO OF MINNESOTA THAT GOT IT, AND THAT WAS -- FOR A LOT OF US, THAT WAS OUR BIGGEST SNOW SINCE HALLOWEEN.

UNBELIEVABLE.

>> Cathy: WHICH IS JUST CRAWS A IF YOU THINK ABOUT THAT.

CAN YOU TELL US, WE'VE BEEN SNOW-FREE TORSO LONG, HOW DOES IT IS DRY, BROWN LANDSCAPE AFFECT TEMPERATURES, BECAUSE IT'S BEEN SO WARM?

>> YEAH, ACTUALLY SNOW SORT OF CREATES COLD BECAUSE WHEN YOU HAVE A SNOW PACK ON THE GROUND, THE SUNLIGHT REFLECTS OFF OF IT AND IF THE SUNLIGHT IS REFLECTING OFF THE SNOW, THEN IT CAN'T BE ABSORBED BY THE GROUND AND YOU NEED THAT ABSORPTION OF SUNLIGHT TO WARM THE GROUND WHICH THEN WARMS THE AIR ABOVE IT.

SO WHEN YOU HAVE SNOW ON THE GROUND, IT'S EASY TO GET COLD AND HARD TO GET WARM.

WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE SNOW ON THE GROUND, THE OPPOSITE.

HARD TO GET COLD, EASY TO GET WARM BECAUSE YOU'RE ABSORBING ALL THAT SUNLIGHT.

SO, YOU KNOW, NOT HAVING SNOW ON THE GROUND HAS BEEN ONE OF THE REASONS WE'VE HAD SUCH EXTREMES OF WARMTH THIS WINTER.

>> Eric: IMPACT N THE DROUGHT?

>> WELL, YEAH, THAT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE WE ACTUALLY GOT SOAKED ON CHRISTMAS, RIGHT?

24th, 25th, 26th.

WE ACTUALLY GOT A WINTER'S WORTH OF PRECIPITATION IN PARTS OF MINNESOTA.

PEOPLE DON'T REMEMBER IT BECAUSE, FOR ONE, IT WAS ALMOST TWO MONTHS AGO.

THE OTHER THING IS WE HAVE THOUGH EVIDENCE OF IT SITTING ON THE GROUND.

NORMALLY, YOU GET THAT MUCH PRECIPITATION IN DECEMBER, YOU CAN SEE IT FOR THE REST OF THE WINTER BECAUSE IT'S A SNOWPACK BUT THIS TIME T WAS JUST RAIN, AND BECAUSE THE GROUND WAS THAWED, IT ACTUALLY SOAKED INTO THE GROUND.

SO THAT WAS MAYBE THE MOST BENEFICIAL RAIN THAT YOU COULD HAVE IN DECEMBER, OR ANY TIME IN THE WINTER BECAUSE IT ACTUALLY WAS USEFUL, SOAKED INTO THE GROUND.

SO WE'RE STILL IN LONG-TERM DROUGHT BUT IT'S NOT SO MUCH BECAUSE OF WHAT'S HAPPENED THIS WINTER.

IT'S REALLY BECAUSE OF THE DRY GROWING SEASONS WE'VE HAD THE PAST THREE OR FOUR YEARS.

>> Cathy: SO THE PROBLEM HERE IS YOU EVER AN ELLIE NIÑO GOING THERE AND CLIMATE CHANGE?

>> YEAH, A ONE-TWO PUNCH, WE'RE WARMING BECAUSE THE WINTER BE HAVE BEEN WARMER, THEY'VE WARMED, FIVE, SIX, SEVEN DEGREES JUST SINCE 1970 SO THAT YOU CAN THINK OF AS SORT OF THE BASE AND THE BASE HAS BEEN GETTING HIGHER, AND THEN AN EL NIÑO COMES BY AND PRODUCES THIS BIG TEMPERATURE SPIKE SO THAT TEMPERATURE SPIKE IS ON TOP OF THIS INCREASING BRACE SO YOU GET MUCH WARMER THAN YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN.

BUT THERE'S OTHER THINGS GOING ON, TOO.

SOME RECENT RESEARCH SHOWED THAT THE HUNGA TUNGA VOLCANO AFROM ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO BUT A VOTE OF WATER VAPOR IN THE STRATOSPHERE AND THAT'S ADDING HEAT, AND THE SHIPS GOING ACROSS THE OCEAN, THINK POLLUTE A BIT LESS NOW SO MORE SOUNDLIGHT GETS THROUGH.

>> Eric: ON THE WATER BUSINESS, LAKE SUPERIOR, 2.7% ICE COVER.

>> YEAH.

>> Eric: WORSE -- LEAST IN 50 YEARS?

>> NOT SURPRISING, I MEAN, LOOK AT ALL THE ICE EVENT THAT WERE CANCELED IN MINNESOTA THIS YEAR.

I MEAN, WE COULDN'T EVEN ANYONE THE POND HOCKEY TOURNAMENT AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN SO WARM THAT WE'VE BEEN MELTING ICE AS FAST AS WE'VE BEEN MAKING IT FOR MOST OF THE WINTER.

>> Cathy: ISN'T IT WEIRD, YOU HEAR CLIMATE CONFESSIONS, RIGHT?

THERE ARE FOLKS IN MY LIFE THAT SAY, I FEEL KIND OF BAD THERE'S NO SNOW BUT IND OF OKAY BECAUSE I'M NOT SLIPPING AROUND AND I KIND OF LIKE IT BUT I SHOULDN'T LIKE IT.

>> YEAH, IT IS WHAT IT IS.

PEOPLE ARE CONFIDING IN US, IT'S LIKE A SECRET THAT THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING, THEY FEEL -- THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH SO MANY 50-DEGREE DAYS AND YET YOU CAN'T TELL MINNESOTANS NOT TO ENJOY 50 GROWS IN JANUARY OR FEBRUARY AND THEY'RE TELLING US, I LIKE IT.

>> Eric: YOU'RE A WEATHER GUY AND A THERAPIST AT THE SAME TIME.

>> YEAH, YEAH, WE HAVE TO CONSOLE PEOPLE AND TELL THEM, IT'S OKAY.

>> Eric: YOU'RE VERSATILE.

I GIVE OU THAT.

KENNY, THANKS VERY MUCH.

>> Cathy: GOOD TO SEE YOU.