On May 19, the mercury reached 97 degrees at the Twin Cities International Airport. This was the warmest temperature recorded in the Twin Cities for so early in the season. The previous first date of a temperature of 97 degrees or above was May 22, 1925. In fact, there are only three years in which the temperature has been 97 or above in May. Those years are: 1925, 1934 and 2006. The warmest temperature ever recorded at the Twin Cities official observing site in May is 106 degrees on May 31, 1934. Looking at 1890 to 2008 only about half the years reach 97 degrees as the warmest temperature for the year.
Another interesting aspect about the temperatures on May 19 was the extreme range found in the state at the same time. At 4pm it was 34 degrees in Grand Marais with a chilly breeze off Lake Superior and 100 degrees at Granite Falls, a difference of 66 degrees. A temperature range of 40 degrees at the same time in Minnesota happens on occasion, but a range of 60 degrees or more would be quite rare, and a range of 66 degrees may be unique. There was even some freezing rain reported along the north shore. One person who lives near Devil Track Lake in Cook County had ice coating his mailbox on the evening of the 19th.
Below is the hourly round-up for Minnesota from 4pm May 19, 2009 from the National Weather Service.
WEATHER ROUNDUP FOR MINNESOTA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN 400 PM CDT TUE MAY 19 2009 NOTE: "FAIR" INDICATES FEW OR NO CLOUDS BELOW 12,000 FEET WITH NO SIGNIFICANT WEATHER AND/OR OBSTRUCTIONS TO VISIBILITY. N/A MEANS CURRENT SKY AND/OR WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE NOT AVAILABLE. Twin Cities Metro CITY SKY/WX TMP DP RH WIND PRES REMARKS TWIN CITIES MOSUNNY 90 54 29 SE12 29.88F ST PAUL SUNNY 86 57 37 SE13G21 29.89F CRYSTAL SUNNY 87 58 37 SE9 29.88F BLAINE MOSUNNY 84 57 39 E16 29.91F EDEN PRAIRIE SUNNY 89 56 32 SE12 29.86F LAKEVILLE SUNNY 90 57 33 S10G17 29.87F SOUTH ST PAUL SUNNY 87 56 34 E10G16 29.89F LAKE ELMO FAIR 84 57 39 E13 29.92F Northwest Minnesota CITY SKY/WX TMP DP RH WIND PRES REMARKS BEMIDJI CLOUDY 56 39 53 E10 29.97S HALLOCK MOSUNNY 59 28 31 E20G26 29.95F ROSEAU MOSUNNY 57 34 41 E17G24 29.99F WARROAD MOSUNNY 52 32 46 E13G22 30.04F THIEF RVR FALL MOSUNNY 59 36 41 E21G26 29.96F CROOKSTON MOSUNNY 64 39 39 E16G22 29.90F FOSSTON PTSUNNY 64 43 45 E13G20 29.89F DETROIT LAKES PTSUNNY 61 37 41 E12G23 29.89F MOORHEAD MOSUNNY 68 46 45 SE18G24 29.84F PARK RAPIDS CLOUDY 58 37 45 SE17 29.93F North Central Minnesota CITY SKY/WX TMP DP RH WIND PRES REMARKS BAUDETTE PTSUNNY 53 29 39 E16 30.05F FLAG ISLAND DRIZZLE 45 30 57 E6 30.07R INTL FALLS N/A 49 30 48 SE14G23 30.09R WASKISH PTSUNNY 54 36 50 E18 30.00F BIG FORK PTSUNNY 59 32 36 SE14G20 30.07R LONGVILLE CLOUDY 54 34 47 SE7G17 29.98F GRAND RAPIDS PTSUNNY 52 28 40 SE10G20 30.07R CRANE LAKE CLOUDY 48 37 66 CALM 30.13R ORR CLOUDY 52 34 50 SE8 30.08R COOK PTSUNNY 52 25 35 E9 30.11R Northeast Minnesota CITY SKY/WX TMP DP RH WIND PRES REMARKS DULUTH CLOUDY 42 21 43 E24G30 30.10F ELY LGT RAIN 43 25 49 E9 30.14R HIBBING PTSUNNY 52 22 30 SE20G30 30.04F EVELETH PTSUNNY 54 23 30 SE22G28 30.06F DULUTH HARBOR PTSUNNY 37 32 81 NE22G35 30.17F TWO HARBORS PTSUNNY 41 21 45 E21 30.16F SILVER BAY PTSUNNY 41 25 52 E13G20 30.17F GRAND MARAIS N/A 37 31 78 E15G21 30.21F G MARAIS ARPRT CLOUDY 34 27 75 E9 30.15F WCI 26 West Central Minnesota CITY SKY/WX TMP DP RH WIND PRES REMARKS FERGUS FALLS MOSUNNY 72 52 49 SE20G26 29.81F WHEATON PTSUNNY 84 52 32 E21G31 29.76F MORRIS PTSUNNY 81 55 41 E28G37 29.76F ALEXANDRIA MOSUNNY 69 48 47 E24G35 29.86F ELBOW LAKE FAIR 72 49 44 SE25G31 29.81F WADENA CLOUDY 57 41 54 E17G29 29.89F GLENWOOD MOSUNNY 73 48 40 E24 29.85F APPLETON MOSUNNY 86 61 42 SE17G24 29.75F BENSON MOSUNNY 84 57 39 SE17G25 29.78F ORTONVILLE MOSUNNY 86 55 35 SE20G26 29.74F MADISON MOSUNNY 91 57 31 SE13G21 29.75F HX 90 WILLMAR FAIR 84 59 42 E21 29.83F Central Minnesota CITY SKY/WX TMP DP RH WIND PRES REMARKS ST CLOUD MOSUNNY 72 50 45 E13G21 29.92F PAYNESVILLE SUNNY 76 54 46 E16G22 29.88F AITKIN CLOUDY 54 45 71 E12G20 30.01R PINE RIVER CLOUDY 54 37 54 E15G24 30.00F BRAINERD CLOUDY 56 38 50 E13G22 29.96F STAPLES CLOUDY 59 46 63 E12G22 29.92F LONG PRAIRIE FAIR 71 51 50 E18G25 29.89F LITTLE FALLS MOSUNNY 64 45 48 E10G20 29.92F LITCHFIELD SUNNY 81 57 44 E17 29.87F BUFFALO SUNNY 81 56 41 NE9G18 29.89F MAPLE LAKE SUNNY 79 56 45 E14G20 29.91F HUTCHINSON MOSUNNY 84 53 34 SE9G17 29.83F East Central Minnesota CITY SKY/WX TMP DP RH WIND PRES REMARKS PRINCETON MOSUNNY 72 48 43 NE12G18 29.96F MORA PTSUNNY 61 43 51 E13 30.02S CAMBRIDGE MOSUNNY 72 46 40 N8G16 29.97S RUSH CITY PTSUNNY 66 46 48 NE14 29.98F MOOSE LAKE CLOUDY 46 32 57 E12G20 30.04F CLOQUET CLOUDY 41 28 60 E22G38 30.05F MCGREGOR CLOUDY 50 36 57 E18G25 30.03F Southwest Minnesota CITY SKY/WX TMP DP RH WIND PRES REMARKS MONTEVIDEO SUNNY 93 54 26 SE13G18 29.75F HX 91 GRANITE FALLS SUNNY 100 45 15 SW22G29 29.78F HX 96 CANBY SUNNY 97 51 20 SW17G25 29.76F HX 94 MARSHALL SUNNY 97 52 21 S26G33 29.80F HX 94 REDWOOD FALLS SUNNY 99 51 19 S26G33 29.78F HX 96 OLIVIA SUNNY 98 49 19 SW21G28 29.77F HX 94 PIPESTONE SUNNY 95 50 21 SW30G37 29.83F HX 92 WINDOM SUNNY 93 52 24 S26G38 29.86F HX 90 WORTHINGTON SUNNY 93 48 21 S31G39 29.87F HX 90 JACKSON SUNNY 91 50 24 SW25G33 29.90F TRACY SUNNY 94 45 18 S26G37 29.81F HX 90 SLAYTON SUNNY 93 42 16 S29G38 29.86F South Central Minnesota CITY SKY/WX TMP DP RH WIND PRES REMARKS MANKATO SUNNY 97 48 19 SW22G35 29.85F HX 93 NEW ULM SUNNY 95 37 13 SW24G31 29.82F HX 90 ST JAMES SUNNY 95 45 17 S25G39 29.86F HX 91 FAIRMONT SUNNY 93 50 22 S28G36 29.91F HX 90 GLENCOE SUNNY 92 53 26 S7G17 29.83F HX 90 FARIBAULT SUNNY 97 48 19 S13G25 29.89F HX 93 OWATONNA SUNNY 99 46 16 SW26G36 29.90F HX 95 WASECA SUNNY 95 52 23 S28G35 29.91F HX 92 ALBERT LEA SUNNY 91 41 17 SW14G23 29.93F Southeast Minnesota CITY SKY/WX TMP DP RH WIND PRES REMARKS ROCHESTER SUNNY 93 50 23 S23G31 29.96F HX 90 RED WING SUNNY 88 57 35 SE12 29.90F STANTON SUNNY 93 50 22 S17 29.87F HX 90 DODGE CENTER SUNNY 90 54 29 SW22G33 29.94F WINONA SUNNY 90 55 31 S8G21 29.96F AUSTIN SUNNY 91 52 25 SW22G35 29.95F PRESTON SUNNY 87 54 31 S23G30 29.99F ABBREVIATIONS USED IN REMARKS TC - TEMPERATURES IN CELSIUS WCI - WIND CHILL INDEX HX - HEAT INDEX VSB - VISIBILITY
Listed below are record event reports from the National Weather Service regarding the May 19 heat.
RECORD EVENT REPORT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHANHASSEN MN 750 PM CDT TUE MAY 19 2009 ...RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE SET TODAY AT TWIN CITIES MN... AT 5:06 PM TODAY A NEW RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 97 DEGREES WAS RECORDED AT THE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN THE TWIN CITIES. THIS BREAKS THE PREVIOUS RECORD OF 89 DEGREES PREVIOUSLY SET IN 1977 AND 1978. RECORD EVENT REPORT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHANHASSEN MN 132 AM CDT WED MAY 20 2009 ...A NEW RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE WAS SET AT MANKATO MINNESOTA... A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 97 DEGREES WAS SET AT MANKATO MINNESOTA YESTERDAY... TUESDAY MAY 19 2009. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 94 SET IN 1975.