Courtesy of Minnesota State Climatology Office
A surge of intense early-season heat brought the warmest conditions since October to southern and western Minnesota, along with the earliest 85-degree F high temperature on record anywhere in the state.
The surge of heat occurred on Saturday March 21st, 2026, as a a massive "heat dome " that had been building over the southwestern US for many weeks made a brief and dramatic northeastward expansion. In the Desert Southwest, the heat had intensified to historic proportions within the past week, as numerous locations shattered daily high temperature records and saw highs top 100 F 1-3 weeks earlier than any other date on record.
On Saturday, the absurdly summer-like heat made it as close to Minnesota as Sioux City, Iowa, where high temperatures reached 95 F, fully 25 days earlier than the next earliest date on record.
In absolute terms, the heat was not as intense in Minnesota, but in relative terms it was only slightly less exceptional. The temperature reached 85 F in Pipestone, making it the highest temperature recorded anywhere in the state so early in the season. Other warm readings included 82 in Windom and Winnebago, and 80 F at several other stations in the area. The temperature topped out at 79 F in the Twin Cities. In these areas, it was not the warmest March day on record, but it was generally warmer than 99% of historical March days.
The heat was very short-lived in Minnesota, with temperatures tumbling by 50 to 70 F degrees in many areas over the next 36 hours. After observing the highest temperature in the state over the weekend, Pipestone recorded a low of 14 F on Monday March 23rd, a drop of 71 degrees.
Posted March 24, 2026
KAB