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Sweater weather meets the state fair for opening weekend

Cold front brings a taste of fall to fairgoers

A large crowd of people walks the thoroughfare at the Minnesota State Fair.
Hundreds pack a thoroughfare on opening day Thursday at the 2025 Minnesota State Fair.
Aleesa Kuznetsov | MPR News

A burst of unseasonably cool air is arriving for the opening weekend of the Minnesota State Fair, giving fairgoers a surprise taste of fall.

Temperatures will run well below average for late August, with highs in the mid-60s to low 70s. Comfortable dew points will add to the crisp, autumn-like feel.

Fairly chilly weekend

Friday’s cold front will usher in a cooler Canadian air mass, setting the stage for a fall-like weekend at the Minnesota State Fair.

wx FRI
Forecast surface weather conditions Friday: a cold front sweeps through Minnesota
National Weather Service

Saturday and Sunday will feature some of the coolest air during the State Fair since 2018, when the high on Aug. 28 reached just 66 degrees.

Saturday’s temperature trend will start with readings in the upper 50s to low 60s in the early morning, warming to the mid to upper 60s by afternoon.

Winds will blow from the northwest at 5 to 15 mph, and some fair-weather cumulus clouds are expected to develop later in the day, as shown in the graphic below.

Saturday hourly forecast
Saturday hourly forecast
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Impact-Based Decision Support Services

Sunday’s forecast calls for slightly cooler temperatures, starting in the mid-50s at sunrise and warming into the mid-60s by afternoon. Winds will remain from the northwest at 5 to 15 mph.

Sunday hourly forecast
Sunday hourly forecast
NOAA Impact-Based Decision Support Services

Dew points this weekend will be impressively low, holding steady in the comfortable 50s. This marks a significant drop from Friday’s higher readings, bringing much drier and more comfortable conditions for fairgoers.

Dew points through the weekend
Dew points through the weekend
NOAA Impact-Based Decision Support Services

You can catch the MPR News weather team at the Minnesota State Fair on Wednesday, Aug. 27, around noon!