Much of Minnesota suffered through extraordinarily warm temperatures Monday, 
May 18th. The thermometer reached 100 degrees in Redwood Falls. A 100 degree 
temperature in May is quite rare. The last time that the temperature reached 
100 degrees earlier than June, was April 21, 1980 when some communities in 
west central and northwest Minnesota reached the century mark. Numerous 
locations reached 100 degrees on many dates during May of 1934.

Summary of temperature records set May 18th...

MSP dewpoint temperature of 72 degrees F at 3 pm was a record
for the date.

All the afternoon temperatures listed below were new max temp
records for May 18th...

Redwood Falls 100 F (old record 95 F in 1934)
Willmar  95 F
Marshall 96 F 
St Cloud 94 F (old record 90 F in 1911)
Hibbing  88 F
Duluth  85 F (tied record high set in 1978)
St James  93 F

Mark Seeley
Professor and Extension Climatologist
Department of Soil, Water, and Climate
University of Minnesota

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