Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Hottest summer on record for Duluth; more 90s ahead

Hazy, hot, and humid weather continues this week. Rain chance by Saturday.

Duluth ship canal
A balmy summer day at the Duluth ship canal. This year has the warmest meteorological summer on record so far for Duluth.
Lake Superior Maritime Museum

The steamy summer of ‘21 continues to bend the record books.

Duluth, Minn., is the latest location to post some record-breaking weather numbers this summer. This meteorological summer (June through August) is the hottest on record so far through August 16 for Duluth. The average temperature of 67.7 degrees bests the previous mark of 67.5 degrees set back in 2012.

Summer temperatures in Duluth
Meteorological summer temperatures in Duluth through August 16.
NOAA/Duluth NWS office

Of note on the chart above: The four hottest Duluth summers (and five of the six hottest) have occurred since 2006. The past four summers have all been in the top 10 hottest summers on record in Duluth. Six of the top 10 hottest summers in Duluth have occurred since 2006.

Heat continues

A persistent southerly airflow continues to pump a steamy late-summer air mass into Minnesota this week. Highs will run in the 90s across most of Minnesota this week. Cooler by your favorite giant freshwater lake.

Forecast high temperatures Wednesday
Forecast high temperatures Wednesday
NOAA

Weekend rain chances

A weather system rolling through Minnesota Friday night and Saturday brings our next chance for widespread significant rain. NOAA’s GFS model pains scattered rain and thunder across Minnesota between 7 a.m. Friday and 7 p.m. Saturday.

NOAA GFS model Friday and Saturday
NOAA GFS model between 7 p.m. Friday and 7 p.m. Saturday.
NOAA via tropical tidbits

Most forecast models suggest 1 to 2-inch rainfall totals are possible especially in drought-stricken northwest Minnesota.

Stay tuned.