Prompts winter weather advisories as cold air moves in Friday night

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Weather and Climate News

Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Mandy Thalhuber

Author

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

A large crowd of people walks the thoroughfare at the Minnesota State Fair.

Sweater weather meets the state fair for opening weekend

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