Steamy summer of '21: Long-duration heatwave ahead

The MPR weather team has written extensively about forecasts for our early June heatwave on the Updraft blog this week. And we already set new record highs in the Twin Cities and other locations Friday afternoon. Friday’s high temperature of 97 degrees was the hottest day in about three years for the Twin Cities.

Looking ahead, the weather maps favor 90-degree heat well into next week across southern and western Minnesota. The Twin Cities could exceed or challenge the 90-degree mark each day through next Thursday.

If the Twin Cities racks up six straight days of 90-degree heat, it will tie the record for the most consecutive days at or above 90 degrees before June 15. That record was set just three years ago in 2018.

Here’s more on early-season heatwaves from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ climate working group.

Heat extremes often punctuate Minnesota's summers and are most common from the end of June through the end of August. July is by far the state's hottest month, boasting virtually all of our statewide and station-specific heat records, and historically accounts for 40% of all 90-degree F days.

Heat waves that occur during or before the first half of June are less common, and often of a different nature than many (though not all) mid-summer heat waves. A typical July or early-August heat episode may be oppressively humid, whereas late-spring episodes tend to be somewhat "dry."

Looking ahead through June, temperature outlooks strongly favor hotter than normal temperatures this month overall.

Welcome to what increasingly looks like the steamy summer of ‘21.

Stay cool, Minnesota.