First heat blast of the season arrives in Minnesota this weekend

Heat that has much of the United States sizzling this summer is finally making its way to Minnesota and the Twin Cities, where the season’s first 90-degree temperatures will usher in a mini heat wave this weekend.

High humidity levels Saturday and Sunday will make it feel quite tropical, too, said Caleb Grunzke, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Chanhassen.

“Monitor your body if you have outdoor activities,” he said. “Take frequent breaks. Heat stroke can sneak up on you fast.”

While no excessive heat advisories or warnings had been issued in Minnesota as of Friday morning, they likely will be posted by this afternoon, about 24 hours before the hot air arrives, Grunzke said.

And even if no warnings come out, will we feel it? “Oh yeah,” Grunzke said.

Thermometers are expected to reach the low 90s Saturday and Sunday in the Twin Cities, and possibly Monday, too. Dewpoints, the measure of how much moisture there is in the air, are forecast to top out in the upper 60s and low 70s, and will make it feel sticky. That will make it feel close to 100 degrees, the National Weather Service said.

“There won’t be much relief overnight, either,” Grunzke added, as lows will drop only into the 70s.

Western Minnesota will feel the brunt of the heat-humidity combination, Grunzke said.

A strike by Minneapolis Park and Recreation workers won’t impact operations at the city’s beaches and pools.

“We will be fully staffed and ready to go,” said Robin Smothers, Park Board spokeswoman.

All of the Park Board’s pools and most beaches will be open this weekend. The exceptions are Bde Maka Ska North, Lake Harriet Southeast and Lake Hiawatha beaches closed due to high levels of E. coli bacteria in the water, Smothers said.

Outdoor aquatics facilities in St. Paul will be fully staffed and adjusted as needed to meet demand, said Clare Cloyd, with the city’s Parks and Recreation Department. Water stations will also be provided, she said.

It should be “very busy this weekend with the expected hot temperatures,” Cloyd said. “We encourage people looking to beat the heat to also consider visiting Phalen Beach or one of our splash pads since the outdoor pools typically reach capacity quickly on hot days.”

Xcel Energy said cooling costs account for about half of the typical customer’s summer electric bill. The utility said customers can reduce costs during hot weather by using ceiling fans to circulate air throughout their homes, closing drapes and blinds during the heat of the day, and changing air conditioner filters and cleaning coils to ensure their units operate efficiently.

By Tuesday, cooler and drier air will filter into Minnesota, dropping high temperatures into the upper 70s with dry and sunny conditions prevailing at least through late next week, the Weather Service said.

The Twin Cities recorded 92 degrees on Oct. 1, 2023, and it has not been that warm since, the Minnesota Climatology Office said. But the streak of 286 days should end Saturday and Sunday with a high of 92 degrees forecast for both days.

But there is a caveat. The atmosphere will be conducive to firing up a storm or two, which could keep readings a tad cooler, Grunzke said.

This marks the latest the metro area has gone into the season without hitting 90 degrees since 1993 when there was not a single 90 all year, said Pete Boulay, assistant state climatologist. There were no 90-degree or hotter days in the Twin Cities two other times, in 1902 and 1915, he said.

Twin Cities weather records go back to the early 1870s.

By contrast, last year the metro had already seen 14 90-degree days by July 12 and the summer produced 34 days in which the temperature exceeded 90, the Climatology Office said.

The predicted weekend heat prompted the Minnesota Department of Transportation to call off a maintenance project along eastbound I-94 in Minneapolis. The agency had planned to close the lanes to carryout non-emergency work on pavement, bridges, drainage structures and signs will be rescheduled and the lanes will remain open, said MnDOT spokesman Kent Barnard.

MnDOT crews, however, are ready to deal with road buckles, should they occur, said spokeswoman Anne Meyer. With temperatures in the 90s, “they do happen,” said spokeswoman Anne Meyer.

Motorists who encounter one can report them by calling 911.