Minnesota saw record high heat and bad air quality in July

July 2026 will end as the fifth or sixth warmest in recorded state history.

For nearly half the month, temperatures reached 90 degrees or greater. In seven counties, there was at least one day during the month where temperatures reached 100, a rarity for July.

“One hundred fifty-five years of records here in the Twin Cities, there's only been 26 years that have brought a July with a 100-degree temperature,” climatologist and meteorologist Mark Seeley told MPR News.

All that heat has led to expansive drought across Minnesota’s landscape and exacerbated wildfires in the northeast that brought the worst air quality ever measured for the state.

Listen to the full weather chat by clicking the player above.

• September starts off warmer than normal in Minnesota
• Summer comes to a close as one of the warmest in state history
• Crop health takes a hit as drought remains
• Minnesota drought deepens with dry weather expected into the fall