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According to the Minnesota State Climatology Office, 80-degree dew points are extraordinarily uncommon in the Twin Cities. Since reliable records began in 1945, there have been just 34 hours with dew points of 80 degrees or higher.

Until now, much of that rarity was concentrated in just a couple of historic events. A remarkable 10 of those 34 hours occurred during a 10-hour stretch from July 12-13, 1995. Another eight hours were recorded between July 17-19, 2011.

Now, July 27, 2026, joins that exclusive list. The Twin Cities added six more hours with 80-degree dew points, including a peak dew point of 81 degrees.

The highest dew point ever observed in the Twin Cities remains 82 degrees, recorded on July 19, 2011. That event still stands as the local benchmark for tropical humidity.

Across Minnesota, the state record is even more astonishing. In Moorhead, the dew point climbed to an incredible 88 degrees during the 2011 heat wave. That combination of extreme heat and moisture pushed the heat index above 130 degrees.

Only a handful of years have ever produced 80-degree dew points in the Twin Cities:

With six more hours added to the record books today, 2026 has secured its place alongside some of Minnesota's most memorable humidity events. While air temperatures often get the headlines, dew point is what determines just how oppressive the air feels — and an 80-degree dew point is about as uncomfortable as it gets in the Upper Midwest.

Weather and Climate News

Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Mandy Thalhuber

Author

If it felt like you could swim through the air this morning, there was a reason: Twin Cities dew points climbed into the low 80s, approaching all-time record territory.

One of the muggiest days on record for the Twin Cities

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