The Legislature will consider a proposal to open the spring season a week earlier than is now the case. Global warming has been cited as a reason the move can be done without hurting fish, because -- due to rising temperatures -- spawning concludes earlier than it once did. But are mid-May temperatures really that much warmer now?
MINNEAPOLIS BRAINERD INTERNATIONAL FALLS Precip. Max temp. Min temp. Precip. Max temp. Min temp. Precip. Max temp. Min. temp May 10, 1997 0 80 40 0 73 33 .05 67 30 May 9, 1998 .05 79 49 .11 64 44 0 70 35 May 15, 1999 .06 70 54 .06 69 47 T 68 47 May 13, 2000 .01 64 40 0 65 36 .16 48 35 May 13, 2001 0 73 48 0 70 43 T 75 38 May 11, 2002 0 58 44 0 61 32 0 63 31 May 10, 2003 .43 58 47 .61 48 42 .04 53 43 May 15, 2004 0 62 38 0 52 27 0 61 24 May 14, 2005 .06 50 42 .05 47 38 .12 47 38 May 13, 2006 .59 54 39 .4 43 39 .01 55 40 May 12, 2007 0 73 50 .01 63 44 0 67 30 May 17, 1947 0 68 52 0 65 41 T 74 44 May 15, 1948 .1 70 52 .21 67 45 .35 58 43 May 14, 1949 0 72 47 0 66 40 0 52 31 May 13, 1950 0 74 48 .42 71 37 T 67 31 May 12, 1951 0 73 45 0 69 41 0 59 32 May 17, 1952 0 64 43 0 61 38 0 56 33 May 16, 1953 0 66 42 0 67 28 0 61 30 May 15, 1954 T 75 58 .43 72 46 .02 66 45 May 14, 1955 0 85 55 0 82 50 0 82 53 May 12, 1956 0 83 58 0 74 49 0 62 35 May 18, 1957 0 49 42 .22 47 39 0 63 32 Source: National Weather Service; http://climate.umn,edu
