Climate Cast

Runners can expect seasonably cool temperatures for the 2026 Twin Cities Marathon. But the early October tradition will be moving back a week starting next year. Race officials have stated health concerns due to heat as a reason for the change.

Between 1961 and 1990, October temperatures never touched 90 degrees in the Twin Cities. But, since 2010, there has been two instances of 90-degree temperatures in October. And now it’s twice as likely to hit temperatures over 80 degrees than 50 years ago.

MPR News meteorologist Sven Sundgaard spoke with distance runner Jeff Denney and Jacob Kastner, the me...

The University of Minnesota is recognized as one of the top apple breeding and genetics research programs in the country. It developed the Honeycrisp apple and other flavors like the Big Flirt and the SuperSnap. But a warming climate makes the university’s work more difficult.

MPR News chief meteorologist Ben Cathey spoke with Matt Clark, the director of research at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, and Sarah Kostick, a member of the University of Minnesota Apple Breeding Program, about how climate is changing apples and the way you buy them.

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Invasive species play the long game. They travel well, dig in to survive wherever they’re dropped off and then start multiplying, making it nearly impossible to root them out.

Scientists looking now at the current state of the Strait of Hormuz see a recipe for invasive species spread. Giant ships are stuck in the warm waters there amid the Iran War and they’re collecting critters in the ballast water and on their hulls.

Those invasive creatures will end up in ports around the world once the ships start moving again, likely crea...

Derechos are devastating, fast-moving bands of thunderstorms capable of producing destructive winds. Minnesota has experienced several, including the Boundary Waters blowdown in 1999. But research suggests derechos could become twice as common in a warming climate.

MPR News chief meteorologist Ben Cathey spoke with members of the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota in Roseville about the impacts these storms can have on wildlife.

He also spoke with Logan Bundy, a meteorologist at Northern Illinois University, about what derechos could look like in the future.

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If you’ve attended or played in a softball or baseball game this summer, you likely share something in common with a lot of Minnesotans. The intense heat, coupled with the high humidity, has led to delays and sweltering conditions for fans, players, and umpires alike. That comes at the end of July 2026, which will go down as the warmest month in American history.

There are plenty of church leagues and beer leagues around the state, but one group that meets in the Midway neighborhood of St. Paul is a little different. They have team names li...

What would you guess is the deadliest disaster in Minnesota history? A wildfire? Blizzard? Tornado? It was none of those. In 1936, a long-term heat wave killed at least 900 across Minnesota.

Heat is America’s top weather killer, even in the age of air conditioning and community pools.

For the return of the long-running Climate Cast, we wanted to revisit the terrible cost of the 1936 heat wave that hit 90 years ago this month. On July 14, 1936, experts estimated a person was dying every three minutes in Minneapolis alone as a direct result of the heat.

For years, Climate Cast has been a place to make sense of a changing planet — explaining the science, the solutions and the people behind the issue.

MPR News chief meteorologist Paul Huttner sat down with Tom Crann during the Minnesota Climate Adaptation Awards to reflect on Climate Cast’s roughly 650 episodes and its focus on climate science, news and solutions.

“Climate change is a huge problem. We are seeing it every day,” Huttner said. “But there are so many good people working on solutions, and the technology of those solutions is here now.”

Pl...

With climate change exposing communities to more dangerous weather conditions and amplifying diseases, experts say more people need resources to adapt.

The University of Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership is working on creating Climate Resilience Hubs to help give people community spaces that can give support both in everyday life and during emergencies.

MPR News chief meteorologist Paul Huttner spoke with Dr. Kent Boyd, a Climate Adaptation, Resilience, and Public Health Extension Educator at the University of Minnesota, who is leading this work.

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Burning fossil fuels is one of the primary drivers of climate change, releasing large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, causing changes including increased temperatures and extreme weather events here in the Midwest.

But recent research took advantage of a 40-year ongoing experiment at the University of Minnesota’s Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve to study how this carbon is being stored in retired croplands.

MPR News chief meteorologist Paul Huttner spoke with Eric Seabloom, a professor at the University of Minnesota College of Biological Science who was an author on the re...

Warmer waters building in the tropical Pacific Ocean are suggesting an El Nino event developing late this year. Forecasts predict an event range from a moderate El Nino, to a so-called Super El Nino event, which could have dramatic effects on weather in Minnesota, the U.S. and the world.

MPR News chief meteorologist Paul Huttner spoke with Andrew Freedman, a Senior Reporter for Climate & Weather at CNN, who has reported on the event.

The transportation sector is a large contributor to climate change, accounting for about 28 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Within that sector, aviation accounts for around 2 percent of carbon dioxide global emissions, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Looking to reduce its carbon footprint, the aviation industry is seeking fuels from more renewable biological sources. At the University of Minnesota’s Forever Green Initiative, researchers are working to commercialize winter oilseed cover crops that can keep soil healthy and also be turned into aviation fuel.

MPR News chief meteorologist Pa...

Fossil fuels are by far the largest contributor to global climate change, accounting for nearly 90 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions. But there are people here in Minnesota working on solutions for managing those emissions.

MPR News chief meteorologist Paul Huttner spoke with Paul Dauenhauer, a Distinguished McKnight University Professor at the UM College of Science and Engineering, about the start-up company Carba, of which he is a cofounder.

Through Carba, they have developed a proprietary process that converts plant-based waste material into biochar, a stable material that sequesters carbon and can be bu...

The United States is among the world’s largest beef producers, producing some 12 million tons in 2025. But cattle generate a lot of emissions. The beef industry alone is responsible for around 3 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions in the United States.

MPR News chief meteorologist Paul Huttner spoke with Jennifer Schmitt, senior research scientist in sustainability at the University of Minnesota’s Institute on the Environment, about what’s currently being done to reduce emissions.

Plus, a snippet from a recent episode of This Old House Radio Hour about climate preparation is reshaping the ho...

Minnesota Arctic explorer Will Steger has trekked across thousands of miles of ice in both the north and South Poles, crossing the Larsen Ice Shelves a few years before they disintegrated and collapsed into the sea.

MPR News chief meteorologist Paul Huttner spoke with Steger about dramatic changes he’s seen in Arctic regions over the past several decades.

The last time Lake Superior completely froze over was 30 years ago in 1996. Around that time, Lake Superior was consistently at least 75 percent frozen over. Now, 75 percent coverage is rare, only happening about once every four years.

Ice on the Great Lakes, and Lake Superior specifically, is a great way to measure climate for our region. MPR News chief meteorologist Paul Huttner spoke with UMD professor Jay Austin, about what ice coverage can tell us about climate change.

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In 2022, The State of Minnesota created their Climate Action Framework, a plan that sets a vision for how Minnesota will address and prepare for climate change. As of February 11th, the framework has been updated.

MPR News chief meteorologist Paul Huttner spoke with Heidi Roop, the Director of the University of Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership, which helped create the new framework, to talk about the new changes.

NOAA data shows that winters have warmed more than five degrees on average since 1970. And last two years were some of the warmest on record, dating back to the late 1880s.

But as the climate warms over decades, so do the 30-year averages for climate variables like temperature and precipitation. These new normals can mask the true magnitude of just how fast Minnesota is warming up.

MPR News chief meteorologist Paul Huttner spoke with MPR News meteorologist Sven Sundgaard to explain how these normals can be misleading.

Minnesota’s prairie, in the southwestern part of the state, is a biodiverse ecosystem that’s home to buffalo, bees and tall grass.

In the book, "Sea of Grass: The Conquest, Ruin and Redemption of Nature on the American Prairie," Josephine Marcotty and Dave Hage dig into the significance prairies have to the climate. MPR News chief meteorologist Paul Huttner talks with Hage in depth about the American prairie.

The following has been edited for length and clarity. Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.

What drew...

The University of Minnesota’s Community Climate Leaders program connects students with actionable climate science, impact strategies, and a local network of peers. Christy Marsden, who oversees the program, joined Climate Cast to explain how community members can get involved in climate action.

Earth’s oceans continued to reach record-high temperatures in 2025. And those hotter oceans are fueling stronger and wetter storms.

St. Thomas University researcher John Abraham, who reported these findings with his colleagues in the journal “Advances in Atmospheric Sciences,” joined Climate Cast to talk about how the latest research on Earth’s warmer oceans affects the people of Minnesota.

Beneath the harsh winds and temperature of Antarctica, scientists have identified ice cores that give new insights into Earth’s past.

Martin Froger Silva works with the National Science Foundation Center for Oldest Ice Exploration. He and a team of researchers have been drilling in Antarctica for ice millions of years old. Silva talked to Climate Cast host Paul Huttner about their research.

It’s not your imagination — the cost of your home insurance is going up.

Weather-related extreme events have sent homeowners’ insurance rates skyrocketing. Federal budget cuts to the Federal Emergency Management Agency will exacerbate these issues, particularly affecting state budgets and risk reduction efforts.

In Minnesota, homeowners insurance rates increased the last decade due to hail damage, leading to non-renewals and some companies leaving the market.

Jordan Haedtler, a climate financial policy strategist with Climate Cabinet, based in Duluth, talks with MPR News Chief Meteorologist Paul Huttner about climate-change-fueled risks and st...

Climate change has amplified the hydrologic cycle in Minnesota. Our more erratic precipitation patterns are driving faster transitions from drought to floods. So, can AI-driven forecasts help predict floods on rivers like the Mississippi?

“We need to make innovations in these sorts of models and in our flood forecasting in general,” said Zac McEachran, a research hydrologist from the University of Minnesota.

McEachran talked with MPR News meteorologist Paul Huttner about a new flood forecasting model that uses AI to improve local flood predictions.

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Weather data suggests Minnesota has warmed more than three degrees in the past 150 years, and the state’s winters have warmed more than five degrees since 1970.

So how are Minnesotans seeing and feeling these climate changes?

“Here in Minnesota, we are experiencing climate change predominantly in the winter,” said Kristoffer Tigue, a reporter for the Minnesota Star Tribune.

“We base a lot of our culture around our winters, and so to have our winters being the season that's changing the most, I think it tells a narrative of the direction we’re go...

Minnesota winters are not what they used to be.

The bone-chilling season has warmed more than 5 degrees on average since 1970. Those warmer temps have contributed to another weather phenomenon: more snow — even if it doesn’t seem that way.

How do we explain that paradox? Climatologist Kenneth Blumenfeld tracks snowfall trends for the Minnesota State Climate Office. He explained the connection between snowfall rates and higher global temperatures on Climate Cast.

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Minnesota has a goal to move toward 100 percent carbon-free electricity by 2040.

That will have significant impacts on certain parts of the state where coal plays a major part in the economy — like Itasca County.

So, how are people in this part of northern Minnesota adapting?

Itasca County Commissioner John Johnson spoke about how the county is planning for the transition.

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It was another beautiful fall color season in Minnesota, and we know seasonal temperature change is what drives our fall color show.

But did you know those trees can react to more subtle microclimates around the state and even within your yard?

Tyler Hesseltine is an arborist who works with trees all year long. He talked to Climate Cast host Paul Huttner about how even small landscaping decisions can have a big impact on tree health.

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Minnesota may be a long way from the ocean, but we have great seafood options.

So, how can we choose and prepare seafood that’s delicious and climate sustainable?

A new cookbook called “The Blue Food Cookbook: Delicious Seafood Recipes for a Sustainable Future” has some ideas.

Minnesota native and four-time James Beard award-winning chef Andrew Zimmern co-wrote the book with seafood expert Barton Seaver.

Zimmern shared tips and recipe ideas with Climate Cast host Paul Huttner.

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How should Minnesota approach climate change action in the years to come?

Minnesotans can have a voice in that process by commenting on the state's latest proposed Climate Action Framework, a comprehensive plan laying out steps Minnesota should take to address climate change and reach a carbon-free future.

The last framework was released in 2022 and established a statewide target to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. That framework was adopted into state law in 2023.

Kate Knuth, climate director for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, shared more about the framework and how people...

Almost 15 million acres in the Midwest grow corn on the same land year after year. That’s about 20 percent of all Midwest cropland.

Growing corn in this way produces more greenhouse gas emissions than crop rotation because it releases more nitrous oxide — a greenhouse gas 300 times more powerful than carbon dioxide.

That’s according to a new report from the Environmental Working Group.

But cost-effective, climate-smart practices can reduce these emissions in a big way.

Anne Schechinger is lead author of the analysis, and she shared more about...

Seasonal migration is underway, and Minnesota's landscape is playing an important role in guiding birds down south.

But milder winters across the state can impact the migration process, as well as disrupt food availability and breeding opportunities.

“This [is] what we call migratory connectivity,” said Lynn Schofield, a biology instructor and staff biologist at St. Olaf College, “which is to connect all the dots between where the birds are spending their summers, where are they spending their winters and all of the places that they need to go between their summer and winter habita...

Federal tax credits for solar projects are expiring at the end of this year, and some smaller towns in rural Minnesota have tapped into the benefits.

For Climate Cast this week, MPR News meteorologist Paul Huttner talks to Minnesota Star Tribune reporter Kristoffer Tigue about the skepticism around solar power that many small and local governments had adopted over the years and the economic benefits that changed their minds.

Minnesota continues to bask in warmer temperatures, blurring our seasons together.

“If you break it up month by month, the biggest change we've seen is Septembers,” said Pete Boulay, assistant state climatologist with the Minnesota State Climate Office. “September is evolving into an extension of summer.”

Average temperatures for the fall season have been warming up about one degree a decade since 1970.

“Averages used to be, statewide, about 55 degrees,” Boulay said. “Now we’re about 61 degrees for September temperatures, and we’ve had a lot more warmer than cooler Septembers since 2010.”

New research indicates warmer oceans may change ocean currents and atmospheric patterns in a big way.

In this episode of Climate Cast, MPR News chief meteorologist Paul Huttner continues his conversation with John Abraham of the University of St. Thomas about shifting currents in the Atlantic Ocean and the importance of measuring ocean temperatures.

Climate scientists have known about connections between oceans and the atmosphere for decades, but new research indicates warmer oceans may change ocean currents and atmospheric patterns in a big way.

MPR News chief meteorologist Paul Huttner talked with John Abraham of the University of St. Thomas about shifting ocean currents in the Atlantic Ocean.

The following has been lightly edited for clarity. Click play on the audio player above to listen to this episode, or subscribe to the Climate Cast podcast.

This study finds a higher chance than previously thought th...

The jet stream, a fast-moving river of air thousands feet above Earth, steers storms and weather systems around the globe.

Scientists have been studying how climate changes impact the jet stream for decades. Now, one study in the scientific journal Nature, discovered a jet stream behavior change.

“The jet streams are shifting,” said Larry Di Girolamo, professor and climate researcher with the University of Illinois.

Di Girolamo worked with NASA to gather statistics from Earth’s atmosphere through the launch of a satellite carrying a Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer. Over the span o...

Summer is in its waning weeks and weather at the Great Minnesota Get-Together has been fair — for the most part. 

MPR News meteorologists Paul Huttner, Sven Sunggard and Mandy Thalhuber hosted their annual Climate Cast conversation in front of an audience at the Minnesota State Fair. 

Together, they reflected on weather patterns from all four seasons. Audience members shared their questions, too, about Minnesota’s changing climate and shifting climate patterns.

This discussion was recorded at the Minnesota State Fair on Aug. 27. To hear the full conversation, click play on the au...

Fireflies across the U.S. have seen a robust surge in growth this summer in part to a wetter weather pattern.

But those fiery little critters — which some call lightning bugs — might be in a steady decline.

“Insect populations are known to vary from year to year,” said Eric Berger, a freelance journalist for The Guardian. “A one-year increase is not enough to indicate that there has been a reversal in the downward trajectory of fireflies.”

Berger added that scientists do not have baseline data for firefly species and only recently sta...

The smoky summer of 2025 has produced a near record number of air quality alerts for Minnesota.

Most of this summer smoke has drifted in from these massive Canadian wildfires where more than 16 million acres of forest has burned in Canada this year.

MPR News chief meteorologist Paul Huttner talked with Matthew Taraldsen, a meteorologist with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), about poor air quality and reason behind the state’s smoke-filled summers.

The following has been lightly edited for clarity. Listen to the full conversation by clicking the player butt...