Cold Canadian high pressure produced clear skies during the weekend of August 20 and 21, 2004. These clear skies caused temperatures to plummet across Minnesota setting record lows and scattered reports of frost. On August 21, St. Cloud fell to 33 degrees, which was tied the coldest temperature ever reported in August for that city. Of concern is the impact of the cold and areas of frost to crops. The Midwest Climate Data Center has a map of select minimum temperatures during the morning of August 21. An update on Cold August and Summer 2004 in Saint Cloud can be seen here. The Minneapolis Star Tribune has a story about how the August frost is wilting crops.

Below is a map depicting the coldest temperature reported August 20 or August 21.

Here is a table of record lows from August 19-21 in Minnesota courtesy the Midwest Climate Center.

Records Tied or Broken August 19-21, 2004 in Minnesota        
     
Old Record Old   
Date    Station               Record   Old Record 
8/19/04  Crookston            37       39 in 1890       
8/19/04  Duluth               37       39 in 1991
8/19/04  Embarrass            27       29 in 2000  (record begins in 1994)   
8/19/04  Little Falls         35       37 in 1967
8/19/04  Madison              36       39 in 1968
8/19/04  Olivia               37       44 in 2002
8/19/04  Orr                  37       
8/19/04  Park Rapids          36       37 in 1991
8/19/04  Pine River           37 tie   37 in 1932   
8/19/04  Thief River Falls    37       39 in 1985
8/19/04  Tower                25       27 in 1897
8/19/04  Wadena               36       41 in 1941
8/19/04  Waseca               40       41 in 1967
8/19/04  Willmar              39       44 in 1985
  
8/20/04  Duluth               36       38 in 1950   
8/20/04  Embarrass            23       38 in 2001  (record begins in 1994)
8/20/04  International Falls  33       33 in 1950   
      
8/21/04  Duluth               37       41 in 1989   third day in a row with record low 
8/21/04  International Falls  32       37 in 1956   
8/21/04  Minneapolis          44       50 in 1956   
8/21/04  Rochester            39       45 in 1930   
8/21/04  St. Cloud            33       42 in 1923   ties coldest temp ever in August
8/21/04  Embarrass            20       42 in 1997   coldest temp in August since 1994  

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URL: http://climate.umn.edu/doc/journal/frosty040820_21.htm
Last modified: August 24, 2004