The Minnesota Climatology Working Group has released figures on the warm second half of 2011. It says the Twin Cities has a preliminary average temperature of 56.3 degrees, 4.8 degrees above the 1981-2010 average of 51.5 degrees.

“The second half of 2011 was so warm, in fact, that July to December will finish as the second warmest second half of the year on record for the Twin Cities going back to 1873. The only July-December period that was warmer is 1931 with an average of 56.8 degrees.”

The group, comprising the State Climatology Office, the University of Minnesota and the Department of Natural Resources, says the last three months — October to December — will finish as the third warmest on record for the Cities, with a preliminary average of 40.5 degrees. That is just behind 2001 with 40.8 degrees.

“The year 1931 claims the most mild spot with 41.6 degrees,” it says.