It’s been a week of temperatures hovering around and above the 90-degree mark in Minneapolis as the city continues to remain in the midst of a historic heatwave that has affected many parts of the north-central United States. On June 9 (Wednesday), Minneapolis broke a daily record, hitting 96 F in the afternoon.
The National Weather Service announced, “As we hit noon, the Twin Cities is now up to their 7th consecutive day with a high of 90 or greater,” on their Twitter page.
This long and continuous stretch of 90-degree temperatures began in the region on June 3, which is more than two weeks before the official beginning of summer. The city then went to set a new temperature record of 97 F on June 4. The heat peaked the following day, on June 5, hitting a record high of 99 F – this is a whopping 23 degrees higher than the average reported for early June in this region. The city usually experiences temperatures around the mid-70s during this time of the year.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources said the heatwave this year is historic not just because of its duration but also due to the intensity of the heat so early in the month.
Minneapolis and St.Paul, Minnesota have had the earliest recorded 7-day period of 90-degree temperatures, according to the National Weather Service.
After issuing a heat advisory earlier this week, the National Weather Service of the Twin Cities upgraded the region to an excessive heat warning. What’s more, weather forecasters have predicted that temperatures in the region could rise as high as 100 F.
Minneapolis, however, is not the only city experiencing extreme heat this month. Duluth and International Falls, Minnesota also experienced record high temperatures this week.