REGIONAL— An unprecedented heat wave sent thermometers soaring across northern Minnesota earlier this week, crushing previous high temperature records by double digits in some cases.
It was the hottest Mother’s Day on record in International Falls this past Sunday as the border city long known as “Frostbite Falls,” hit 96 degrees, crushing the previous daily record high of 83 degrees.
“Basically, everything north of Rochester in Minnesota broke daily records,” said state climatologist Kenny Blumenfeld. But in an unusual break from the typical weather pattern in the state, northern Minnesota weather stations, which were closer to the high-pressure ridge that brought on the early spring heat wave, were consistently warmer than in southern Minnesota.
Indeed, it was the most northerly communities that recorded some of the highest temperatures. Matching International Falls, Warroad hit 96 degrees as did Grand Forks.
“Getting to 96 in International Falls in early May is just bonkers,” said Blumenfeld, who noted it was by far the earliest date that the border city had reached such an extraordinary temperature. June 4 was the earliest date that the city had seen a 96-degree reading prior to last Sunday.
The high temperatures, combined with gusty winds and exceptionally low humidity, also led to dangerous wildfire conditions, prompting several days with red flag or critical fire weather warnings. Several major wildfires were burning in the region as of Wednesday.
According to Ketzel Levens, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Duluth, the unseasonable heat and dry air was funneled into the area from a large ridge of high pressure that sat for a week over the Great Plains. It pumped warm air up from Texas and Oklahoma for several days, a pattern that continued right on through Wednesday of this week, although most areas saw the highest temperatures on Sunday. In Minnesota, the hottest temperatures during the stretch were in the northwestern part of the state and some of that heat bled into the Rainy River valley all the way to the Falls.
Across the North Country, the west-to-east pattern bore out as both Cook and Orr topped out at 91 degrees, while Ely mustered only a relatively mild high temperature of 84 degrees.
As of Wednesday, the forecast called for a dramatic change, with significant rainfall and much cooler temperatures for the weekend, when highs aren’t expected to top the high-40s both Saturday and Sunday, with clouds and scattered showers with a few wet snowflakes possibly mixed in, especially Saturday morning. Levens said no accumulation is expected. “This would be conversational snow at best,” she said.
As is so often said in Minnesota, if you don’t like the weather…