Climate Cast

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 steps the state Legislature is taking to address to address the issues.

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 going as a state.”

Tigue explained that the state is experiencing warmer winters, an increase in precipitation and melting. Tigue wrote about the many ways Minnesotans are seeing climate change — from warmer falls, to a lack of foliage color and wildfire smoke.

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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 can get involved on this week’s Climate Cast.

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