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Remember the steamy summer of 2023? I know. I didn’t either until I looked back at the numbers. 

Last year was the fifth-warmest summer for the Twin Cities. It was followed by the warmest September on record. The average temperature in the Twin Cities in September was 69.1 degrees, 5.6 degrees warmer than average.

Last year, we sweated through 33 days of 90-degree heat in the Twin Cities. That’s the fifth-highest number of 90-degree days on record for the Twin Cities dating back to 1893. 

We also had a record 101 days with temperatures of 80 degrees or more in 2023. So when you look at last summer overall, it was more like a Des Moines or southern Iowa summer in the Twin Cities. 

We’ve managed to eke out just one 90-degree day so far this year. And the mercury barely tickled 90 degrees in between hours last Sunday afternoon. 

That’s way below the pace to reach the yearly average of 13 days with 90-degree heat in the Twin Cities. Even if we finished at just one 90-degree day this summer, it won’t be a record. Three years — 1902, 1915 and 1993 —  sailed by without the mercury hitting 90.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources elaborates on our 

So with highs mainly in the 70s to 80 in sight for the next seven to 10 days, it will be interesting to see how many 90-degree days we end up getting in the Twin Cities compared to the average of 13 days this year. I’m taking the under. 

Weather and Climate News

Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Paul Huttner

Author

The summer of 2024 is running a little cooler than average so far. 

On track for a low number of 90-degree days this year

Go Deeper.

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