September ends with a summer weather rewind
Park-goers relax in the shade to beat the heat in Minneapolis on Tuesday, June 8, 2021.
Tim Evans for MPR News file
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Audio transcript
NINA MOINI: Well, it doesn't feel much like October today, does it? We're facing a heat wave that hearkens back to the dog days of summer, not the start of October. MPR News chief meteorologist Paul Huttner is here with us now to explain. Hi, Paul.
PAUL HUTTNER: Hey, Nina. Happy Aug-tober.
NINA MOINI: Oh, Aug-tober. I see what you did there. So how warm is it going to get across Minnesota this week? I'm hearing rumors about maybe some records.
PAUL HUTTNER: Yeah, you're right. We are going to have near-record warmth, I think, the next few days. And it's interesting because we basically already had two Augusts this year, right?
NINA MOINI: Yeah.
PAUL HUTTNER: Last month, September, looks like it will tie for the eighth warmest on record in the Twin Cities. We were 4.1 degrees warmer than normal. And you combine that with the last couple of years. Last September was the warmest on record. It was 7 degrees warmer than normal. Two years ago, number two. So the last three have all been top 10 warmest Septembers.
And here we go in October, this air mass unseasonably warm, 20 to 25 degrees warmer than normal, and yeah, near records. 89 to 90 is our record high in the Twin Cities the next three days. I think we'll get close on Friday and Saturday. So today out there, pretty nice. We're in the mid '80s. Tomorrow, 87, near 90 in the Twin Cities Friday and Saturday. And I think we will be in the 90s south and west of the Twin Cities. So this is, indeed, a near-record air mass as we head in toward the weekend.
NINA MOINI: Wow. I'm thinking about this weekend, Paul, and I'm thinking about the folks that are going to be running the Twin Cities Marathon on Saturday, specifically. I know tons of other outdoor activities going on for people who may not have expected that it would be this hot. So what are they going to be facing, you think, here in the Twin Cities?
PAUL HUTTNER: Yeah, it's going to be already in the 70s, I think, Saturday morning, when they start running the race early. And as I said, we'll warm to near 90 in the afternoon. So it'll be into the 80s by late morning, midday on Saturday. So definitely a very warm race. Hydrate out there for sure.
NINA MOINI: Yeah. Any rain chances at all this weekend?
PAUL HUTTNER: It looked like Sunday, especially in northwest Minnesota, north central Minnesota, will have a good chance of showers and thunderstorms, but the Twin Cities, southern Minnesota might get the tail end of this front. So just a slight chance as we head into Sunday evening. But that will be a cold front that will turn us cooler, will fall from the 80s down into the 70s by Sunday evening, and then even colder into next week.
NINA MOINI: Yeah. When are you starting to see some signs of colder air?
PAUL HUTTNER: Well, finally, it's a proper October cold front by Monday. Highs will be in the 50s up north, 60s in the south, and we may even see some frost in northern Minnesota along about next Wednesday, maybe even northern suburbs of the Twin Cities. But I see the European model is saying we could be near 70 again by late next week in the Twin Cities.
NINA MOINI: And I feel like when the frost finally hits, that's when I feel like I get some allergy relief. And I'm just wondering, when do we typically see a first frost? Because it doesn't seem like it's coming anytime soon down here, at least.
PAUL HUTTNER: Yeah, you're right. Typically, northern Minnesota, they have frost in September and October. That's pretty typical. Twin Cities, our average first 32-degree temperature at Twin Cities Airport is October 18. So we do usually still have a while, mid-October at least. As I said though, that cold front by next Wednesday morning, models I'm looking at are bringing it down to around 40 in the Twin Cities, maybe some 30s in the suburbs by next Wednesday morning. So, Nina, maybe a little bit help with those allergies next week.
NINA MOINI: Yeah. And so before I let you go, Paul, I do want to just check in on what is going on for Climate Cast this week for you.
PAUL HUTTNER: The tax credits for solar installations are coming to an end pretty quickly. But it's interesting because some rural Minnesota cities and towns have been adopting solar projects, even with a lot of skepticism. It's been overcome by economics because these cities are going to save tens of thousands of dollars by putting solar on some of their municipal buildings. So we'll talk about who's doing that tomorrow on Climate Cast on All Things Considered.
NINA MOINI: From 3:00 to 6:00. Thanks so much, Paul.
PAUL HUTTNER: Thanks, Nina.
NINA MOINI: That was NPR News chief meteorologist Paul Huttner.
PAUL HUTTNER: Hey, Nina. Happy Aug-tober.
NINA MOINI: Oh, Aug-tober. I see what you did there. So how warm is it going to get across Minnesota this week? I'm hearing rumors about maybe some records.
PAUL HUTTNER: Yeah, you're right. We are going to have near-record warmth, I think, the next few days. And it's interesting because we basically already had two Augusts this year, right?
NINA MOINI: Yeah.
PAUL HUTTNER: Last month, September, looks like it will tie for the eighth warmest on record in the Twin Cities. We were 4.1 degrees warmer than normal. And you combine that with the last couple of years. Last September was the warmest on record. It was 7 degrees warmer than normal. Two years ago, number two. So the last three have all been top 10 warmest Septembers.
And here we go in October, this air mass unseasonably warm, 20 to 25 degrees warmer than normal, and yeah, near records. 89 to 90 is our record high in the Twin Cities the next three days. I think we'll get close on Friday and Saturday. So today out there, pretty nice. We're in the mid '80s. Tomorrow, 87, near 90 in the Twin Cities Friday and Saturday. And I think we will be in the 90s south and west of the Twin Cities. So this is, indeed, a near-record air mass as we head in toward the weekend.
NINA MOINI: Wow. I'm thinking about this weekend, Paul, and I'm thinking about the folks that are going to be running the Twin Cities Marathon on Saturday, specifically. I know tons of other outdoor activities going on for people who may not have expected that it would be this hot. So what are they going to be facing, you think, here in the Twin Cities?
PAUL HUTTNER: Yeah, it's going to be already in the 70s, I think, Saturday morning, when they start running the race early. And as I said, we'll warm to near 90 in the afternoon. So it'll be into the 80s by late morning, midday on Saturday. So definitely a very warm race. Hydrate out there for sure.
NINA MOINI: Yeah. Any rain chances at all this weekend?
PAUL HUTTNER: It looked like Sunday, especially in northwest Minnesota, north central Minnesota, will have a good chance of showers and thunderstorms, but the Twin Cities, southern Minnesota might get the tail end of this front. So just a slight chance as we head into Sunday evening. But that will be a cold front that will turn us cooler, will fall from the 80s down into the 70s by Sunday evening, and then even colder into next week.
NINA MOINI: Yeah. When are you starting to see some signs of colder air?
PAUL HUTTNER: Well, finally, it's a proper October cold front by Monday. Highs will be in the 50s up north, 60s in the south, and we may even see some frost in northern Minnesota along about next Wednesday, maybe even northern suburbs of the Twin Cities. But I see the European model is saying we could be near 70 again by late next week in the Twin Cities.
NINA MOINI: And I feel like when the frost finally hits, that's when I feel like I get some allergy relief. And I'm just wondering, when do we typically see a first frost? Because it doesn't seem like it's coming anytime soon down here, at least.
PAUL HUTTNER: Yeah, you're right. Typically, northern Minnesota, they have frost in September and October. That's pretty typical. Twin Cities, our average first 32-degree temperature at Twin Cities Airport is October 18. So we do usually still have a while, mid-October at least. As I said though, that cold front by next Wednesday morning, models I'm looking at are bringing it down to around 40 in the Twin Cities, maybe some 30s in the suburbs by next Wednesday morning. So, Nina, maybe a little bit help with those allergies next week.
NINA MOINI: Yeah. And so before I let you go, Paul, I do want to just check in on what is going on for Climate Cast this week for you.
PAUL HUTTNER: The tax credits for solar installations are coming to an end pretty quickly. But it's interesting because some rural Minnesota cities and towns have been adopting solar projects, even with a lot of skepticism. It's been overcome by economics because these cities are going to save tens of thousands of dollars by putting solar on some of their municipal buildings. So we'll talk about who's doing that tomorrow on Climate Cast on All Things Considered.
NINA MOINI: From 3:00 to 6:00. Thanks so much, Paul.
PAUL HUTTNER: Thanks, Nina.
NINA MOINI: That was NPR News chief meteorologist Paul Huttner.
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