2 September 2023
The Twin Cities — including visitors to the Minnesota State Fair — are going to be sweltering this weekend, which will flirt with 100 degrees on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.
The first day of meteorological fall (Sept.1 through Nov. 30) began with a vengeance Friday with a high of 89 in the Twin Cities. It’s expected to only get hotter as the Labor Day weekend goes on and the State Fair concludes on Monday.
According to the NWS, the heat wave will peak Sunday afternoon with some areas of southern Minnesota possibly hitting 101.
If it soars into the triple digits in the Twin Cities, it will be the first time that’s happened in September since Sept. 10, 1931, when it hit 104 in the midst of the Dust Bowl, according to the NWS.
That was also the last — and only — 100-degree day at the 164-year-old State Fair. The second-highest temperature ever recorded during the Fair was 99, also notched in 1931 but two days earlier.
Fairgoers haven’t had to brave extreme heat for many years. From 2014 to 2022, there weren’t any days during the State Fair that even hit 90. In 2019, it didn’t even reach 80, according to state climatologists.
However, it won’t feel as hot this weekend as it did during the last heat wave.
“Lower humidity values will make this heat more bearable than what occurred in August,” the NWS said.
Yes, we annually see about 14 days above 90°F. This year we have already observed 27 days above 90°F. In 1988, 44 days were observed. Meanwhile in 1993, there were no days for the entire year above 90°F at the MSP airport.
— NWS Twin Cities (@NWSTwinCities) September 1, 2023
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