The Topline: Snow-free Thanksgivings and lethal cantaloupes – Minnesota Reformer

Welcome to The Topline, a weekly roundup of the big numbers driving the Minnesota news cycle, as well as the smaller ones that you might have missed.

Minnesota’s first snow-free Thanksgiving in nearly two decades

Satellite data from the National Weather Service shows there wasn’t a spec of snow on the ground anywhere in Minnesota on Thanksgiving this year. The latest time that happened, according to the historic data, appears to have been 2004. 

That was the start of an El Nino winter too, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Ditto the almost snow-free Thanksgivings of 2006 (saved by a dusting on the easternmost reaches of the Arrowhead) and 2009. Those winters were also marked by unusually low snowfall in the Twin Cities. 

Snow and ice lovers may want to start bracing themselves for disappointment. Remember last week, when the big federal climate report warned that warming waters would mean less ice on Midwestern lakes? We’re seeing that in action this winter with our unusually warm November. By this time last year, people were already out on the ice at Upper Red Lake.

Plumbing the depths of Minnesota’s waters

Speaking of water, ever wonder which of the state’s 11,842 lakes is the deepest? The Star Tribune’s Curious Minnesota column tackled that question last week. Chloe Johnson found that if you use an expansive definition of ‘lake’ that includes abandoned mining pits, the title goes to the former Mahnomen #1 mine pit near Ironton, which is about 525 feet deep.

The deepest natural body of water is Loon Lake in Cook County, along the Gunflint trail, at a depth of a little over 200 feet. Fun fact: there are more than 20 different Loon Lakes scattered across Minnesota, according to the Department of Natural Resources’ lake database.

Duluth sees thousands of cruise passengers

More than 4,000 cruise ship passengers stopped in Duluth in 2023, generating hundreds of thousands of dollars of economic impact in the city, according to a report from the city’s convention center. 

It’s a reminder that a “Great Lakes Cruise” is a thing people pay actual money to do, visiting exotic ports of call like Milwaukee, Detroit and Cleveland. 

Cantaloupes kill two in Minnesota, sicken dozens more

A multistate salmonella outbreak linked to pre-cut cantaloupes has claimed two lives in Minnesota, according to the latest update from the Centers for Disease Control. “The true number of sick people in this outbreak is likely much higher than the number reported,” the CDC writes, “and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses.” 

The outbreak is also affecting Canada, where one person has died and more than 60 have fallen ill.

Airlines lose 2 million suitcases each year, and most of them end up at this store in Alabama

NPR News tells the tale of Unclaimed Baggage, an Alabama retail outlet that sells luggage abandoned on planes, trains and buses. It’s now one of the top tourist destinations in the state, with a million visits each year. They even have a museum housing some of their more unusual finds, including a giant puppet from the movie Labyrinth, ancient artifacts and a suit of armor.