The following article summarizes the original event which is listed below the summary.
Recognizing and responding to climate change in Minnesota
University of Minnesota Professor Emeritus Mark Seeley is a meteorologist and climatologist confident in his knowledge of yesterday’s weather. He entertained and informed nearly 140 UMRA members at the final forum of our 2023–24 program year on May 21.
“America’s Siberia” was Minnesota’s nickname well into the 20th century, he told us, and most UMRA members can remember examples of extreme weather, be it cold, snow, rain or heat. Seeley shared a story about a longtime volunteer weather observer in Tower, in northeastern Minnesota, who recorded a 105 degree temperature swing on Ground Hog’s Day in 1996, from minus 60 to plus 45 degrees, in 36 hours.
Nonetheless, the patterns of climate have changed considerably in the last few decades, Seeley said. The data show striking changes to Minnesota’s climate and real, immediate impacts on the climate and nature. Minnesota and surrounding states and Canadian provinces show a steady trend towards wetter and warmer weather.
Average temperatures rarely actually occur because there’s such widespread variation, and the ranges are getting bigger. The lowest temperatures recorded in January have gone up six degrees in some locations, a factor that limits the beneficial impact of winter killing off certain pests, Seeley said.
And there are more significant rainfall events often causing flooding. Storms are becoming more severe and damaging because of the extreme conditions.
Overwhelmed by the pace of change
“Since the early nineties I’ve been absolutely overwhelmed by the pace of change in this state. I’m seeing things as a scientist that I never expected to see,” he said.
An UMRA member mentioned the impact on homeowners insurance, and Seeley confirmed that insurance companies are paying attention. He is concerned that politicians are not paying adequate attention, but noted many local communities, including Fergus Falls and Rochester, are taking important actions that are worth adopting.
Despite retiring as a faculty member in 2018, Seeley continues to write about and analyze the changing Minnesota weather. He appears weekly on Minnesota Public Radio’s Morning Edition and in the summer at the Minnesota State Fair for visits and quizzes; writes a weekly blog called Minnesota Weather Talk posted at 4 p.m. on Fridays by University of Minnesota Extension; and contributes to other periodicals.
To learn more about the state’s weather and the trends and consequences of our changing climate, Seeley recommended his book Minnesota Weather Almanac: Second Edition, published by the Minnesota Historical Society Press in 2015. For practical guidance, he recommended The Climate Action Handbook: A Visual Guide to 100 Climate Solutions for Everyone, written by Heidi Roop, PhD, and published by Sasquatch Books in 2023. Dr. Roop took over Dr. Seeley’s faculty position and leads the University of Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership, which Seeley founded in 2007, working with communities to adapt to climate change.
“Maybe Minnesota can be a leader in all this,” Seeley said. “I hope we can.”
—Julie Sweitzer, UMRA president elect and Program Committee chair
View the annual meeting at 54:45 in the video.
The impact of climate change on life in Minnesota
Tue, May 21, 2024, at 10:30am
Mark Seeley
Professor Emeritus
University of Minnesota
Campus Club Fourth Floor
Coffman Memorial Union
Professor Emeritus Mark Seeley, our guest speaker for the UMRA Forum on Tuesday, May 21, is probably familiar to all of you. He has been a weekly commentator on Minnesota Public Radio’s Morning Edition since 1992. He joined the U of M Department of Soil, Water, and Climate in 1978, and still serves as Extension climatologist and meteorologist, coordinating weather and climate educational programs with state and federal agencies. Perhaps you’ve heard his weather quiz from the MPR booth during the Minnesota State Fair. If so, you know that he is always entertaining and informative.
Some of you may also remember Seeley’s previous guest appearances with UMRA, in January 2017 and February 2011. We are honored to welcome him back, and look forward to another enlightening conversation with him about the weather.
Check-in starts at 10:15 a.m. and buffet lunch service at 10:45 a.m.
How does the increasing number of wildfires in Canada and the West impact Minnesota’s air quality? Does climate change mean this is the new normal? These are just two of the questions we have for him. We also want to know about other ways climate change may impact Minnesota’s weather, growing seasons across the state, agriculture, and daily life. As always, there will be time during the question and answer period for you to ask the questions that vex you.
Deep roots in Minnesota
Along with numerous academic publications, Seeley is the author of the Minnesota Weather Almanac and several children’s books on weather, writes a weekly newsletter called Minnesota Weather Talk, and helps produce a public radio science podcast. He is also active in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Climate Literacy Program.
Although Seeley grew up in California, he has deep roots in Minnesota. His great-great grandfather served in the first territorial and state legislatures, and his grandfather farmed near Appleton, Minnesota, until 1910, when a drought forced the family to head west to start a new life.
Please make your reservation today and join us at the Campus Club in Coffman Memorial Union on the Twin Cities campus in Minneapolis on Tuesday, May 21. Note: Check-in starts at 10:15 a.m. and buffet lunch service at 10:45 a.m.
The luncheon forum will be followed immediately by UMRA’s annual meeting, when we will welcome our new UMRA leadership and thank outgoing President Eric Hockert.
—Julie Sweitzer, UMRA President-elect and Program Committee chair
Upcoming Events
Many life challenges that get in the way of quality of life and good health at home have little to do with medical issues. Cathy Lauring, our presenter for UMRA’s February 18 workshop, will explore a variety of resources to assist in keeping us healthy at home—including physical, emotional, cognitive, and financial services.
John Bantle will lead the discussion of A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson when the UMRA book club meets via Zoom on February 21.
Join UMRA members to watch two of the best hockey teams in the nation. UMRA has negotiated a discounted ticket price of $33.
Barbara Klick, RN, MBA, the presenter for UMRA’s February 25 Forum, has decades of experience working in human and veterinary medicine, and will bring her wisdom and perspective to our discussion about what we can learn from our pets about facing end-of-life challenges and decisions.
The Fourth Friday Book Club will meet via Zoom on February 28 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. CST to discuss The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain.
Join members of the UMRA Hiking Club for a hike on March 3 at the Holland Lake Trailhead in Lebanon Hills Regional Park in Eagan. It is the largest park in the Dakota County park system. Our route will take us on an unpaved trail with some roots, rocks, and easy hills. It will be about 5 miles for 2 to 2.5 hours. We will meet for an optional lunch afterwards somewhere nearby (TBD).
Will Craig discusses using local sources for family history.
The THEME is Insects
The UMRA Photo Club will meet at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in the meeting room of the Hennepin County St. Anthony Branch Library, in the small shopping center at New Brighton and St. Anthony Boulevards.
For those interested in lunch, meet at the Great Dragon at 11:30 a.m.
The UMRA Hiking Club will explore wildlife along the Mississippi River in Fort Snelling State Park. The 3.9-mile Pike Island Loop is generally considered an easy route and takes just over an hour. Hikers can leave at that point, or stay to add another short loop. The trail is located below the bluff on which the historic fort sits. The last time we were there we saw a lot of deer, and the river always provides fascinating views.
The UMRA Photo Club will meet at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in the meeting room of the Hennepin County St. Anthony Branch Library, in the small shopping center at New Brighton and St. Anthony Boulevards.
For those interested in lunch, meet at the Great Dragon at 11:30 a.m.
Theme to be announced.
The University of Minnesota Archives, with its major holdings largely tucked away in two huge underground caverns along the Mississippi River under the West Bank campus, holds the essential records of our University of Minnesota’s past. University Archivist Erik Moore will interpret the holdings and bring out a sampling of what it holds. We will also get a tour of the caverns (Minnesota Library Access Center), revealing where these precious materials are housed, including the original tapes of KUOM, now Radio K.
You are cordially invited to see Rick Huebsch, Associate VP for Research, Technology Commercialization at UMN, who will discuss UMN Technology Commercialization. Tech Comm facilitates the transfer of UMN innovation beyond the research lab, to benefit the public good, foster economic growth, and generate revenue to support the University's mission.
Do you have a box or several albums of old family pictures that you are not quite sure what to do with? Or perhaps you just want to find out more about your ancestors and are not sure where or how to begin. This meeting of the Family history group will be an open discussion.