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