Minnesota Public Radio Chief Meteorologist Paul Huttner Talks Weather In Minnesota

Minnesota Public Radio Chief Meteorologist Paul Huttner was at the Hampton Inn & Suites in Bemidji today. It’s part of a series of four MPR Connects where he talks about the weather, the climate and some of its trends.

Huttner talked about the forecast process at MPR, the computer models they work with, and how he does a weather forecast. He also spoke about this year’s weather in Minnesota and the climate. Huttner says the two biggest climate signals people are noticing in Minnesota is that the weather is getting warmer and more wet.

“On average, the winters are getting milder,” Huttner said. “Winters overall in Minnesota have warmed up about 5.7 degrees since 1970. So, almost six degrees warmer. And it doesn’t mean every winter is a mild winter, but when you average up all the temperatures over time, there’s a clear warming signal. And actually, the strongest signal in the winter is at night.”

The series is an opportunity for MPR to come out to different communities in the state, and Huttner has been on the road since Monday. Kristi Booth, the Regional Director of Minnesota Public Radio, says the series is a way for them to connect with members and listeners of MPR.

“It’s important that the people who love Minnesota Public Radio and people who don’t know about us can come and hear some of the things that we talk about,” Booth said.

Huttner has been all over Minnesota this week, and Bemidji was his last stop for the MPR Connects series.