♪♪ >> CATHY: SNOW, RAIN, HIGH WINDS, SUMMER-LIKE HUMIDITY, POTENTIAL TORNADOES.

ANOTHER TYPICAL APRIL WEEK OF WEATHER OR NOT?

LET'S FIND OUT FROM METEOROLOGIST PAUL DOUGLAS.

YOU CAN READ HIS WEATHER FORECASTS IN THE "STAR TRIBUNE."

HE ALSO RUNS HIS OWN WEATHER COMPANY, PRAEDICTIX.

84 DEGREES YESTERDAY IN NEW ULM?

>> YEP.

>> Cathy: WITH KIND OF SUMMERY DEW POINTS.

THAT'S REALLY WEIRD.

>> AND THAT'S WHY THE WINDS HAVE BEEN SO CRAZY.

THESE WILD WINGS BETWEEN WARM AND COLD.

AND THE GREATER THE GUY RACES, THE STRONGER THE WIND HAS TO BLOW TO KEEP THE ATMOSPHERE IN EQUILIBRIUM.

I THINK AS WE ARE CONSISTENTLY MILD, LAILT APRIL, MAY, I THINK THE WINDS WILL GRADUALLY - >> Cathy: THE WINDS ARE DRIVING PEOPLE CRAZY.

IT'S EXHAUSTING.

>> Eric: I THINK YOU CAN ILLUSTRATE THIS BEST WITH A BUNCH OF SLIDES.

I'M A SLOW LEARN YES, SIR GO AHEAD.

>> WE'VE HAD 30 DAYS OF WINDS OVER 30 JUST SINCE MARCH THE 1ST AND ACCORDING TO METEOROLOGIST BEN SENATE, ALL THOSE AREAS SHADED IN DANGER ORANGE, INCLUDING A GOOD THUNK OF MINNESOTA AND WITH.

I., THE WINDIEST START TO SPRING IN OVER 50 YEARS.

SO YEAH, IT HAS BEEN WINDIER THAN AVERAGE.

THE GOOD NEWS, THE DROUGHT APPEARS TO BE FADING.

SLOWLY OVER TIME.

MOST WEATHER MODELS HINTING AT TWO INCHES OF RAIN BY THE END OF APRIL.

CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MINNESOTA.

SUMMER RAINFALL, THOUGH, THAT'S THE BIG QUESTION.

IS IT GOING TO BE A WET SUMMER WITH MOSQUITOES?

IS IT GOING TO BE A DROUGHT SUMMER?

I SURE HOPE NOT.

THE TWIN CITIES METRO DROUGHT-FREE NOW, WHICH IS GREAT.

BUT STILL 47% OF THE STATE IN MODERATE TO SEVERE DROUGHT.

UNAROUND BEMIDJI, SOUTH AND WEST TOWARDS WINDOM.

I KNOW THIS GRAPHIC A LITTLE HARD TO READ, BUT EVERYTHING IN RED AND BROWN IS RAIN.

THIS IS LOOKING OUT THE NEXT TWO WEEKS.

WHERE YOU SEE THE BROWNS AND THE WHITES, THAT'S FOUR INCHES OF ARRAIGN ACCORDING TO THE EUROPEAN MODEL BETWEEN NOW AND LET'S SAY THE FIRST COUPLE OF DAYS OF MAY.

DO I THINK WE WILL GET FOUR OR FIVE INCHES?

PROBABLY NOT.

BUT I THINK A SHOE-IN FOR AT LEAST TWO.

AND THAT AGAIN WOULD HELP TO EASE THE DROUGHT.

THIS IS FROM COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, I.R.I., FORECASTING DROUGHT.

EVERYTHING IN YELLOW AND BROWN, PACIFIC NORTHWEST, GREAT PLAINS, PARTS OF THE GULF RO COAST, THE DROUGHT FORECAST TO LINGER INTO MAY, JUNE, AND JULY.

BUT WE MAY GREAT A BREAK HERE IN THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY, MINNESOTA AND WISCONSIN.

AND THERE HAVE BEEN NO TORNADOES THIS YEAR.

THERE WAS NO REAL SIGNIFICANT SPRING FLOODING.

>> Cathy: RIGHT, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY SNOW.

>> RIGHT.

LAST YEAR, WE HAD 41 TORNADOES.

WE'RE UP TO 543 NATIONWIDE.

THAT DARK GRAY LINE IS AVERAGE.

AND YOU CAN SEE NATIONWIDE, WE'RE WELL ABOVE AVERAGE.

MICHIGAN HAS ALREADY SEEN A WHOLE SEASON'S WORTH.

>> Cathy: WHAT?

>> OF TORNADOES.

AS OF APRIL THE 17TH.

SO, YOU KNOW, CAN YOU EXTRAPOLATE THAT ORTH WARD TO MINNESOTA, WISCONSIN?

I WOULDN'T DO THAT, BUT CERTAINLY WE HAVE TO BE ON GUARD.

IT COULD BE ANOTHER BUSY YEAR, ESPECIALLY IF WE HAVE THE MOIST YOUR AND THE INSTABILITY.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES OFFICE NOW HAS HENNEPIN COUNTY DIVIDED INTO SIX DIFFERENT ZONES.

IF YOU HAVE A N.O.A.A.

WEATHER RADIO, YOU CAN PROGRAM IT IN.

SO THAT YOU DON'T GET WARNINGS FOR ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTY, JUST FOR YOUR PARTICULAR NEIGHBORHOODS.

THE WHOLE IDEA IS EOPLE NOT BEING WARNED UNNECESSARILY.

PEOPLE WHO AREN'T IN THE IMMEDIATE PATH OF A TORNADO OR A HAIL STORM OR A FLOOD.

AND -- >> Cathy: SO I COULD BE IN COON RAPIDS AND DON'T REALLY CARE ABOUT BLOOMINGTON.

>> EXACTLY.

WELL, YOU CARE ON A DEEP PHILOSOPHICAL LEVEL, BUT, YEAH.

NOT IN TERMS OF YOUR WARNINGS.

AND THE MODELS LOOK PRETTY SPRINGY.

CONSISTENT 60s.

A FEW DAYS IN THE 50s.

THE EUROPEAN HINTING AT A COUPLE OF 80s HERE WITHIN A COUPLE OF WEEKS.

SO I THINK IT'S SAFE TO TAKE OUT THE DRIVEWAY STAKES.

>> Cathy: OR GET RID OF THE SNOW BRUSH IN THE CAR?

BECAUSE THE MINUTE YOU DO THAT IT'S GOING TO ?OAMP.

>> I KNOW.

AND THEN YOU CAN BLAME ME.

>> Eric: YOU BROUGHT US MIXED TIEDINGS OF GREAT JOY.

PAUL DOUGLAS, EVERYBODY.