**This heat event is in progress and data are not yet final.**
A long-duration heatwave affected Minnesota from Saturday July 11 through the following work week, with widespread temperatures in the 90s F across virtually all of the state for at least part of the time.
After a rather stormy period from late June into early July, a large ridge of high pressure settled over the central U.S., setting up a classic "heat dome" to its west and north, affecting the Great Plains and Upper-Midwest, including Minnesota.
Hot weather built into the region on Saturday July 11, beginning in the north, with temperatures climbing into the low to mid-90s F. Temperatures were largely in the mid 80s to around 90 F in the south. This "geographically-inverted" pattern, with the north warmer than the south, is common when Minnesota is north and northwest of the summer high pressure ridge, and dominated the first few days of this heatwave. By Sunday, temperatures had reached the up 90s F at locations near the Canadian border, with low upper 80s and 90s over much of the rest of the state. International Falls broke a daily high temperature record, with a high of 98 F. Duluth and St. Cloud reached 91 F, and the Twin Cities reached 90 F. The pattern replayed itself on Monday, but during Tuesday the heat remained or intensified slightly over the central and south, but some of the extremes were shaved off of far northern Minnesota, as cooler air trudged into the region from Canada.
Through Tuesday morning, July 14, the highest temperature recorded officially was 100 F at Kettle Falls, which is on the Canadian border near Rainy Lake.
A note on records: Although International Falls broke daily temperature records with 98 F on the 12th and 97 F on the 13th, virtually no other historical station in Minnesota did the same. The reason? International Falls was not recording temperatures during the extraordinary July 1936 heatwave, which is the longest and most severe run of high temperatures on record for Minnesota. During that scorching and deadly period, nearby stations at Little Fork and Big Falls exceeded 100 F five or six times and reached as high as 106 F. Other stations along the Canadian border also exceeded 100 F multiple times, and it is likely that International Falls would have too, if it had been taking observations.
Posted July 14, 2026
KAB