Paul Huttner delivers his annual State Fair forecast ahead of Thursday's opening
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Audio transcript
CATHY WURZER: In case you haven't heard, the State Fair starts tomorrow. And the one thing on everybody's mind besides the Pronto Pups is how is the weather looking? Paul Huttner is here to give us our State Fair forecast and a whole lot more. He's MPR's chief meteorologist. Hey, Paul.
PAUL HUTTNER: Hey, Cathy, always good to be here for Weather Wednesdays with Wurzer.
[LAUGHS]
CATHY WURZER: I love the alliteration. It's very good. Thank you. The one day that you and I were out there, when was the day that we were just profusely sweating and we had pools of sweat underneath our chairs at the State Fair because it was 90-plus?
PAUL HUTTNER: Yes. And I'm guessing that might have been 2013 because that was the last year that we had any 90-degree temperatures at the Fair. This stunned me when I looked at the stats yesterday.
The last seven State Fairs in Minnesota, we have not hit 90 degrees. There's been no wars or weather at the Fair. And that's the longest streak on record since the Fair went to 12 days back in 1975, Cathy. But that year, I think you're talking about 2013, six days of 90-plus, and they were in a row and four days of 95 or hotter.
So that gives you an idea just how hot it can get out there. And we had 90s for the previous four years. So it was all or nothing in the last 10, 15 years or so.
CATHY WURZER: So we're expecting actually fairly decent weather for the Fair at least the first couple of days.
PAUL HUTTNER: It looks great, especially Thursday and Friday. You can't get off to a much better start. Now, maybe some fog tomorrow morning but then mostly sunny and nice, same for Friday.
It's 79 for the high tomorrow, 80 on Friday. And those dew points will be in the 40s and 50s. So that's going to be super comfortable out there, almost ideal weather.
And then the weekend, a little warmer, we'll be in the low to mid-80s. The dew points will creep up into the 60s. And a few scattered storms but not an all-day rain, but especially late Saturday, Saturday night, maybe a shower on Sunday. But I think we'll see more dry hours than rain, Cathy. So all things considered, you can't get a much better start to a Minnesota State Fair.
CATHY WURZER: And we're going to say goodbye soon to meteorological summer. Gosh.
PAUL HUTTNER: We are. I know that's sad. Of course, meteorological summer June, July, and August, those three months. So it ends in one another week.
CATHY WURZER: Yeah.
PAUL HUTTNER: And interesting to note that this has been warm and drier than average in many areas of Minnesota. Temperature-wise, June was more than 3 degrees warmer than average, July about 2 degrees. August has been average interestingly enough, overall about 1 to 2 degrees warmer than average in much of Minnesota and wetter than average in the north and south but dry in the central, interesting rainfall patterns this summer.
Twin Cities overall were 7 inches below rainfall average for this meteorological summer. We've been about average in August. We've caught up a little bit.
But if you go to Duluth, they've had about 11 inches. That's close to average international falls 12 to 13 inches of rain this summer. That's 2 to 4 degrees above average.
And Rochester's had 14 inches plus. That's 2 to 4 degrees wetter than average, so a very interesting rainfall pattern this summer.
CATHY WURZER: Which I know my sister, Gretchen, jumped into Lake Superior yesterday. Yes, and she said it was bracing. And I warned her. I said, hey, look. Water temperatures have been cooler than normal. Are they warming up at all?
PAUL HUTTNER: They are big time. Now, I don't know if you remember. A month, ago we talked about the record cold with temperatures still in the upper 30s along the north shore for Lake Superior water temps.
They've warmed considerably into the 60s. They're now near really what's typical peak summer temperatures this time of year that happens in August. I saw 70 degrees, 71 at the McQuade Harbor, buoy off of McQuade Harbor near Knife River, 64 south of Grand Marais, so mostly in the 60s now.
You're right. It's a bracing swim, Cathy. But if you're brave enough, hey, go for it.
CATHY WURZER: Why not, right? Thank you, Paul. We'll talk to you later.
PAUL HUTTNER: My pleasure. Thanks, Cathy.
CATHY WURZER: Paul Huttner is MPR's chief meteorologist. You can listen to him this afternoon with Tom Crann.
By the way, we'll have a live broadcast of Minnesota Now at the Fair with our friend, Dr. Mark Seeley. And the annual State Fair weather quiz, that's tomorrow noon at the MPR booth corner of Judson and Nelson all right here on the radio starting at noon. And of course, the weather quiz will be online as well.
PAUL HUTTNER: Hey, Cathy, always good to be here for Weather Wednesdays with Wurzer.
[LAUGHS]
CATHY WURZER: I love the alliteration. It's very good. Thank you. The one day that you and I were out there, when was the day that we were just profusely sweating and we had pools of sweat underneath our chairs at the State Fair because it was 90-plus?
PAUL HUTTNER: Yes. And I'm guessing that might have been 2013 because that was the last year that we had any 90-degree temperatures at the Fair. This stunned me when I looked at the stats yesterday.
The last seven State Fairs in Minnesota, we have not hit 90 degrees. There's been no wars or weather at the Fair. And that's the longest streak on record since the Fair went to 12 days back in 1975, Cathy. But that year, I think you're talking about 2013, six days of 90-plus, and they were in a row and four days of 95 or hotter.
So that gives you an idea just how hot it can get out there. And we had 90s for the previous four years. So it was all or nothing in the last 10, 15 years or so.
CATHY WURZER: So we're expecting actually fairly decent weather for the Fair at least the first couple of days.
PAUL HUTTNER: It looks great, especially Thursday and Friday. You can't get off to a much better start. Now, maybe some fog tomorrow morning but then mostly sunny and nice, same for Friday.
It's 79 for the high tomorrow, 80 on Friday. And those dew points will be in the 40s and 50s. So that's going to be super comfortable out there, almost ideal weather.
And then the weekend, a little warmer, we'll be in the low to mid-80s. The dew points will creep up into the 60s. And a few scattered storms but not an all-day rain, but especially late Saturday, Saturday night, maybe a shower on Sunday. But I think we'll see more dry hours than rain, Cathy. So all things considered, you can't get a much better start to a Minnesota State Fair.
CATHY WURZER: And we're going to say goodbye soon to meteorological summer. Gosh.
PAUL HUTTNER: We are. I know that's sad. Of course, meteorological summer June, July, and August, those three months. So it ends in one another week.
CATHY WURZER: Yeah.
PAUL HUTTNER: And interesting to note that this has been warm and drier than average in many areas of Minnesota. Temperature-wise, June was more than 3 degrees warmer than average, July about 2 degrees. August has been average interestingly enough, overall about 1 to 2 degrees warmer than average in much of Minnesota and wetter than average in the north and south but dry in the central, interesting rainfall patterns this summer.
Twin Cities overall were 7 inches below rainfall average for this meteorological summer. We've been about average in August. We've caught up a little bit.
But if you go to Duluth, they've had about 11 inches. That's close to average international falls 12 to 13 inches of rain this summer. That's 2 to 4 degrees above average.
And Rochester's had 14 inches plus. That's 2 to 4 degrees wetter than average, so a very interesting rainfall pattern this summer.
CATHY WURZER: Which I know my sister, Gretchen, jumped into Lake Superior yesterday. Yes, and she said it was bracing. And I warned her. I said, hey, look. Water temperatures have been cooler than normal. Are they warming up at all?
PAUL HUTTNER: They are big time. Now, I don't know if you remember. A month, ago we talked about the record cold with temperatures still in the upper 30s along the north shore for Lake Superior water temps.
They've warmed considerably into the 60s. They're now near really what's typical peak summer temperatures this time of year that happens in August. I saw 70 degrees, 71 at the McQuade Harbor, buoy off of McQuade Harbor near Knife River, 64 south of Grand Marais, so mostly in the 60s now.
You're right. It's a bracing swim, Cathy. But if you're brave enough, hey, go for it.
CATHY WURZER: Why not, right? Thank you, Paul. We'll talk to you later.
PAUL HUTTNER: My pleasure. Thanks, Cathy.
CATHY WURZER: Paul Huttner is MPR's chief meteorologist. You can listen to him this afternoon with Tom Crann.
By the way, we'll have a live broadcast of Minnesota Now at the Fair with our friend, Dr. Mark Seeley. And the annual State Fair weather quiz, that's tomorrow noon at the MPR booth corner of Judson and Nelson all right here on the radio starting at noon. And of course, the weather quiz will be online as well.
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