100 degrees on Memorial Day: 2018

On May 28, 2018 the mercury reached 100 degrees at the Twin Cities International Airport. This is the earliest reading of 100 degrees at the official Twin Cities reporting site since 1871.

A large area of high pressure entrenched across the midsection of the country set the stage for a pre-summer heat wave. From May 24-29, 2018 the temperature climbed at or above 90 degrees for six days in a row, the second most 90-degree highs on record for May for; only 1934 had more 90-degree days, with eight. The 100-degree reading set the maximum temperature record for May 28, breaking the old record of 98 in 1934. The highest temperature found statewide was 102 at Madison in Lac Qui Parle County in west central Minnesota.

The National Weather Service issued an Excessive Heat Warning on May 28 for Hennepin and Ramsey Counties. The common guidelines for the issuance of excessive heat warnings is when the maximum daytime index is expected to reach 105, and the nighttime low temperature does not fall below 75 or 80 degrees. The morning minimum temperature on May 28 was 77 degrees with the heat index reaching 101 in the mid-afternoon at the Twin Cities International Airport. Lakes that had ice cover at the start of the month were now sleuthed out by swimmers looking for an early dip at their favorite beach. Sales of ice cream treats were brisk.

Strong thunderstorms developed in the southwest metro area on May 28, and moved to the northeast though the late evening. These storms only dropped .01 (a hundredth of an inch) at the International Airport, but the rain-cooled air caused the temperature to fall the mid-70s by dusk. The minimum air temperature for the day was 73 degrees near midnight.

Tuesday, May 29 had one more day of 90s across central and southern Minnesota before more thunderstorms cooled the air. The Twin Cities tied a record high of 94 set in 2006 on May 29th. The streak of six 90 degree days in May is the longest stretch of 90 plus days in the Twin Cities, the previous record was four days set back in 1874, 1934 and 1988.

Highest Air Temperature and Maximum Heat Index Values Courtesy the Chanhassen National Weather Service

Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
211 AM CDT Tue May 29 2018
...Highest Temperature Reports from May 28, 2018...
Location                     Temp      Time/Date       Provider
Carver 3S                    102 F     0249 PM 05/28   RAWS
Eden Prairie AP              101 F     0653 PM 05/28   ASOS
Crystal AP                   101 F     0653 PM 05/28   ASOS
Glencoe AP                   100 F     0316 PM 05/28   AWOS
Hutchinson AP                100 F     0335 PM 05/28   AWOS
Litchfield 3S                100 F     0411 PM 05/28   RAWS
Maple Lake AP                100 F     0655 PM 05/28   AWOS
Mankato AP                   100 F     0656 PM 05/28   AWOS
Minneapolis-St. Paul AP-MSP  100 F     0353 PM 05/28   ASOS
Blaine AP                     99 F     0345 PM 05/28   AWOS
Faribault AP                  99 F     0255 PM 05/28   AWOS
St. James AP                  99 F     0315 PM 05/28   AWOS
Litchfield AP                 99 F     0515 PM 05/28   AWOS
Lakeville AP                  99 F     0335 PM 05/28   AWOS
Apple Valley                  99 F     0400 PM 05/28   GPSMET
Chanhassen (NWS)              99 F     1200 AM 05/29   COOP
Montevideo AP                 99 F     0455 PM 05/28   AWOS
Owatonna AP                   99 F     0312 PM 05/28   AWOS
Red Wing AP                   99 F     0455 PM 05/28   AWOS
South St. Paul AP             99 F     0355 PM 05/28   AWOS
St. Paul Dwtn AP              99 F     0653 PM 05/28   ASOS
New Ulm AP                    99 F     0235 PM 05/28   AWOS
Farmington 1SE                99 F     0400 PM 05/28   NWS
Buffalo AP                    98 F     0455 PM 05/28   AWOS
Milan 1NW                     98 F     0600 PM 05/28   COOP
Le Sueur 1S                   98 F     0100 PM 05/28   GPSMET
Stanton AP                    98 F     0355 PM 05/28   AWOS
Lake Elmo AP                  97 F     0415 PM 05/28   AWOS
Waseca AP                     97 F     0235 PM 05/28   AWOS
Albert Lea AP                 97 F     0355 PM 05/28   AWOS
Willmar AP                    97 F     0435 PM 05/28   AWOS
Wyoming 6WSW                  97 F     0506 PM 05/28   RAWS
Cambridge AP                  97 F     0455 PM 05/28   AWOS
Fairmont AP                   97 F     0230 PM 05/28   AWOS
Granite Falls AP              97 F     0359 PM 05/28   AWOS
Morristown                    97 F     0330 PM 05/28   GOES
Osceola AP                    97 F     0455 PM 05/28   AWOS
Princeton AP                  97 F     0436 PM 05/28   AWOS
Augusta 1NW                   96 F     0605 PM 05/28   RAWS
Santiago 3E                   96 F     0320 PM 05/28   RAWS
Paynesville AP                96 F     0535 PM 05/28   AWOS
New Richmond AP               96 F     0415 PM 05/28   AWOS
Redwood Falls AP              96 F     0653 PM 05/28   ASOS
St. Cloud AP                  96 F     0653 PM 05/28   ASOS
Eau Claire AP                 95 F     0656 PM 05/28   ASOS
Gordonsville                  95 F     0400 PM 05/28   GOES
Glenwood AP                   95 F     0515 PM 05/28   AWOS
Menomonie AP                  95 F     0435 PM 05/28   AWOS
Olivia AP                     95 F     0615 PM 05/28   AWOS
Observations are collected from a variety of sources with varying
equipment and exposures. We thank all volunteer weather observers
for their dedication. Not all data listed are considered official.
Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
203 AM CDT Tue May 29 2018
...Highest Heat Indices on May 28, 2018...
Location                     Temp      Time/Date       Provider
Cambridge AP                 106 F     0455 PM 05/28   AWOS
Augusta 1NW                  101 F     0605 PM 05/28   RAWS
Faribault AP                 101 F     0255 PM 05/28   AWOS
Eden Prairie AP              101 F     0253 PM 05/28   ASOS
Hutchinson AP                101 F     0215 PM 05/28   AWOS
Lakeville AP                 101 F     0335 PM 05/28   AWOS
Maple Lake AP                101 F     0335 PM 05/28   AWOS
Minneapolis-St. Paul AP-MSP  101 F     0353 PM 05/28   ASOS
Lake Elmo AP                 100 F     0255 PM 05/28   AWOS
Santiago 3E                  100 F     0320 PM 05/28   RAWS
Ladysmith 2SW                100 F     0505 PM 05/28   RAWS
Montevideo AP                100 F     0455 PM 05/28   AWOS
Owatonna AP                  100 F     0312 PM 05/28   AWOS
St. Paul Dwtn AP             100 F     0153 PM 05/28   ASOS
Carver 3S                    100 F     0249 PM 05/28   RAWS
Waseca AP                     99 F     1235 PM 05/28   AWOS
Wyoming 6WSW                  99 F     0506 PM 05/28   RAWS
Crystal AP                    99 F     0436 PM 05/28   ASOS
Apple Valley                  99 F     0400 PM 05/28   GPSMET
Princeton AP                  99 F     0436 PM 05/28   AWOS
Farmington 1SE                99 F     0400 PM 05/28   NWS
Glencoe AP                    98 F     0316 PM 05/28   AWOS
Litchfield 3S                 98 F     0411 PM 05/28   RAWS
Litchfield AP                 98 F     0335 PM 05/28   AWOS
Le Sueur 1S                   98 F     0100 PM 05/28   GPSMET
Blaine AP                     97 F     0345 PM 05/28   AWOS
Buffalo AP                    97 F     0355 PM 05/28   AWOS
Eau Claire AP                 97 F     0356 PM 05/28   ASOS
St. James AP                  97 F     0315 PM 05/28   AWOS
Milan 1NW                     97 F     0600 PM 05/27   COOP
Mankato AP                    97 F     0156 PM 05/28   AWOS
Morristown                    97 F     0130 PM 05/28   GOES
Olivia AP                     97 F     0215 PM 05/28   AWOS
Red Wing AP                   97 F     0455 PM 05/28   AWOS
South St. Paul AP             97 F     0415 PM 05/28   AWOS
St. Cloud AP                  97 F     0453 PM 05/28   ASOS
Stanton AP                    97 F     0355 PM 05/28   AWOS
New Ulm AP                    97 F     0115 PM 05/28   AWOS
Chetek AP                     97 F     0555 PM 05/28   AWOS
Alexandria AP                 96 F     0453 PM 05/28   ASOS
Willmar AP                    96 F     0435 PM 05/28   AWOS
Sauk Centre AP                96 F     0435 PM 05/28   AWOS
Fairmont AP                   96 F     0156 PM 05/28   AWOS
Little Falls 2SSE             96 F     0407 PM 05/28   RAWS
New Richmond AP               96 F     0440 PM 05/28   AWOS
Rush City AP                  96 F     0417 PM 05/28   AWOS
Albert Lea AP                 95 F     0355 PM 05/28   AWOS
Benson AP                     95 F     0415 PM 05/28   AWOS
Madison AP                    95 F     0435 PM 05/28   AWOS
Granite Falls AP              95 F     0159 PM 05/28   AWOS
Glenwood AP                   95 F     0415 PM 05/28   AWOS
Menomonie AP                  95 F     0540 PM 05/28   AWOS
Osceola AP                    95 F     0315 PM 05/28   AWOS
Paynesville AP                95 F     0615 PM 05/28   AWOS
Redwood Falls AP              95 F     0153 PM 05/28   ASOS
Observations are collected from a variety of sources with varying
equipment and exposures. We thank all volunteer weather observers
for their dedication. Not all data listed are considered official

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