Record Heat, April 5, 2021

After a weekend that was very warm by most measures, Monday April 5th produced some of the highest temperatures ever recorded in early April in Minnesota.

Sunny skies and southerly winds had produced warm and very dry conditions on Saturday and Sunday, with temperatures in the 60s and 70s both days, with some lower 80s registered in southwestern Minnesota on Sunday, as temperatures in many locations inched towards record territory.

The warm air mass took things to another level on Monday, as truly summer-like conditions streamed into southern and central Minnesota. Temperatures soared into the 80s throughout the southern half of Minnesota, including high temperatures of 88 F at Redwood Falls and Lamberton. Eighteen other stations recorded high temperatures of at least 85 degrees F, and over 50 stations recorded highs of at least 80 F. At many stations, high temperatures exceeded the normal high temperature values for the hottest days in July.

Thirty-eight stations with at least 50 years of observations broke daily high temperature records. This list includes Milan, St. Cloud, and the Twin Cities, all of which have over 125 years of observation. In fact, those locations, along with about 20 others, observed the highest temperature ever recorded so early in the season. It should be noted that many cooperative observers record their daily highs and lows (and precipitation) in the morning, and so would have logged high temperature values officially on April 6. This distinction matters, because April 6th, 1991 was slightly hotter than April 5th, 2021, so some stations did not set new records during this hot episode.

As often happens in warm surges fueled by southerly winds, many areas bordering Lake Superior were chilled by a lake breeze. Temperatures from Duluth through Grand Marais were generally held to the 50s, though even just 20 miles inland, locations observed high temperatures in the upper 60s and low 70s. Despite the common exception near Lake Superior, April 5th, 2021 was one of the hottest early-spring days on record in Minnesota.

Below are high temperatures across Minnesota observed on April 5th (though recorded and logged officially on April 6th at some locations). Data were retrieved using the Applied Climate Information System (ACIS).

Location High Temperature (F)
LAMBERTON SOUTHWEST RESEARCH AND OUTREACH CENTER 88
REDWOOD FALLS MUNICIPAL AIRPORT 88
WINDOM 87
PIPESTONE 87
MARSHALL 87
MARSHALL RYAN FIELD 87
FAIRMONT MUNICIPAL AP 86
WINNEBAGO 86
MANKATO MUNICIPAL AP 86
THEILMAN 1SSW 86
CANBY 86
MINNEAPOLIS FLYING CLOUD AIRPORT 86
MILAN 1NW 86
ELK RIVER 86
ST. PAUL DOWNTOWN AIRPORT 86
NEW ULM 3SE 86
HASTINGS DAM 2 85
MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT 85
NEW HOPE 85
MINNEAPOLIS CRYSTAL AIRPORT 85
FOREST LAKE 5NE 85
WORTHINGTON 2 NNE 84
WELLS 84
JORDAN 1SSW 84
CAMBRIDGE 84
WILD RIVER STATE PARK 84
LOWER ST. ANTHONY FALLS 84
CHANHASSEN WSFO 84
ST. CLOUD REGIONAL AIRPORT 84
WILLMAR 5N 84
RED WING DAM 3 83
LITCHFIELD 83
ARTICHOKE LAKE 1 E 83
MELROSE 83
KIMBALL 3N 83
RICE 83
STILLWATER 2SW 83
ALBERT LEA 3SE 82
WINONA DAM 5 A 82
MORA 82
BRAINERD CROW WING COUNTY AP 82
OWATONNA 82
WINONA MUNICIPAL MAX CONRAD FIELD AIRPORT 82
AUSTIN WASTE WATER TREATMENT FACILITY 81
WASECA SOUTHERN RESEARCH AND OUTREACH CENTER 81
ZUMBROTA 81
VADNAIS LAKE 81
LONG PRAIRIE 81
AUSTIN MUNICIPAL AIRPORT 81
DODGE CENTER AIRPORT 81
GRAND MEADOW 80
MINNESOTA CITY DAM 5 80
COLLEGEVILLE ST. JOHN'S 80
ALEXANDRIA CHANDLER FIELD 80
ISLE 12N 80
ROCHESTER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT 80
PRESTON 79
BRAINERD 79
PINE RIVER DAM 79
BRUNO 7ENE 79
CALEDONIA 78
REDWOOD FALLS 78
MADISON WWTP 78
BENSON 78
BROWNS VALLEY 78
PRESTONE FILLMORE COUNTY AIRPORT 78
MILACA 77
WALKER 77
KABETOGAMA 77
COOK 8NE 77
BRECKENRIDGE 3E 77
WHEATON 76
LEECH LAKE 76
CASS LAKE 76
TOWER 2S 76
MABEL 76
SEBEKA 76
WINNIBIGOSHISH DAM 75
PARK RAPIDS MUNICIPAL AP 75
CELINA 2E 75
LA CRESCENT DAM 7 74
OTTERTAIL 74
WRIGHT 3 E 74
POKEGAMA DAM 74
EMBARRASS 74
ORR 3E 74
ELY 74
SANDY LAKE DAM LIBBY 73
HIBBING CHISHOLM HIBBING AP 73
INTERNATIONAL FALLS INTL AP 73
FLOODWOOD 3 NE 73
NEW YORK MILLS 73
BABBITT 73
SABIN 73
GULL LAKE DAM 72
ELY 25E 72
BAUDETTE INTERNATIONAL AP 72
COTTON 71
CAMP NORRIS DNR 70
WARROAD 4W 70
BRIMSON 2S 68
WARREN WSD 68
GUNFLINT LAKE 10 NW 67
DULUTH NWS 67
LAKEFIELD 2NE 66
RED LAKE FALLS 66
Fond du Lac Band 65
DULUTH INTL AP 61
WOLF RIDGE ELC 59
GRAND MARAIS 56
TWO HARBORS 49

 

Last updated April 7, 2021

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