Temps across Minnesota could reach 100 as prolonged heat spell begins
The heat is on in the Twin Cities and much of Minnesota, where thermometers will flirt with 100 degrees Monday and the hot streak is expected to continue through the rest of the month.
A heat advisory will be in effect for the Twin Cities and south-central Minnesota from noon Monday to 6 p.m. Tuesday as the temperature combined with the humidity will at times make it feel as warm as 102 degrees, the National Weather Service said.
In western Minnesota, a heat advisory will be in effect from noon to 8 p.m. Monday, the Weather Service said.
"Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside," the Weather Service said. "When possible, reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors.
The actual high temperature in the metro is expected to be about 98 degrees Monday, a few degrees short of the record high of 101 degrees set in 1940, according to the Minnesota Climatology Office. But it will feel that hot, as the heat index is expected to hit 101 degrees, the Weather Service said.
Both Hennepin and Ramsey counties have buildings and recreation centers open to offer free places to linger in climate-controlled comfort. The Salvation Army service centers in the Twin Cities will serve as cooling centers, and libraries and shopping malls can also offer relief.
Other places that will sizzle with triple-digit heat indexes on Monday include Alexandria, Redwood Falls and St. Cloud, at 101 degrees. It will feel even hotter in Hutchinson, Willmar and Fergus Falls at 102 degrees, while heat indexes could hit 103 degrees in Madison, Minn., and 104 degrees in Fargo and Grand Forks, N.D., the Weather Service said.
The rest of Minnesota, except along the North Shore, will feel the heat, too, with readings in the mid- to upper 90s.
Monday looks to be the hottest day in the Twin Cities with a high of 98 degrees followed by a 96-degree high forecast for Tuesday. After a brief cooldown to 87 degrees Wednesday, the mercury will shoot above 90 degrees for the rest of the week, the Weather Service said.
"Above normal temperatures are favored through the end of July," the Climate Prediction Center said.
As temperatures stay high, rainfall totals will remain low and won't help moisture-starved lawns and farm fields. A cool front dropping in from the north Tuesday could set off some showers, but sunny conditions will prevail the rest of the week, the Weather Service said.
As of Sunday, the Twin Cities had picked up only 0.88 inches of rain in July. That is more than 1.3 inches below normal for the month and comes after a dry June in which the metro saw just over an inch of precipitation, the Minnesota Climatology Office said.
The rain deficit has pushed a swath of Minnesota stretching from the east metro to Mankato into the moderate drought category, the U.S. Drought Monitor said. Areas from Redwood Falls to St. Cloud and the northwest metro were labeled as "abnormally dry," the Drought Monitor's July 14 report said.
