Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Happy meteorological summer! First 90s in 8 months arrive this week

Highs in the 90s and dew points near 70 degrees ahead.

Forecast high temperatures Saturday
Forecast high temperatures Saturday
NOAA

Happy meteorological summer, Minnesota!

June through August are the three warmest months of the year in Minnesota. Climatologists use this period as the definition of meteorological summer for record-keeping. Here’s a good explainer on the difference between meteorological and astronomical seasons.

seasons
seasons
NOAA

It’s also interesting to note that September is the fourth warmest month of the year in Minnesota. September’s monthly average temperature of 62.0 degrees is about 3 degrees warmer than May at 59.1 degrees. We’re also entering the sunniest four months of the year in Minnesota. June brings 66 percent of possible sunshine, meaning nearly 7 in 10 days feature plenty of sunshine. Sunshine peaks in July with 72 percent of average.

So we’re now entering the warmest and sunniest four months of the year in Minnesota.

It’s all summery rainbows and unicorns from the Weather Lab today.

Here come the 90s

Summery heat gradually builds this week. We enjoy highs around 80 degrees with low humidity through Wednesday.

Thursday brings the start of a transfusion of a hotter muggier air mass. Highs reach the mid-80s, and dew points begin to climb through the 60s toward the tropically stuffy 70-degree mark by this weekend.

Watch NOAA’s GFS model track the transition from comfy dew points in the 50s Thursday morning to stifling dew points near 70 degrees by this weekend.

NOAA GFS dew point forecast Thursday through Saturday
NOAA GFS dew point forecast Thursday through Saturday
NOAA via tropical tidbits

Highs reach the 90s as early as Friday. And check out the near 100-degree heat building into western Minnesota from the Dakotas.

Forecast high temperatures Friday
Forecast high temperatures Friday
NOAA

Saturday and Sunday bring intense heat to the Upper Midwest. With highs in the 90s to near 100 degrees and dew points near 70, heat index values will approach 100 degrees in many locations this weekend.

Forecast high temperatures Saturday
Forecast high temperatures Saturday
NOAA

The last time the Twin Cities reached 90 degrees was on August 26, 2020.

We had widespread frost last Friday. Here comes summer Minnesota.