Sunday was the hottest day of the year - so far - in much of Minnesota including the Twin Cities, and St. Cloud. Monday is turning into one of the most humid days in Minnesota. Ever.
The temperature hit 98 degrees at MSP Airport Sunday.
"Yesterday was brutal," says WCCO-TV Chief Meteorologist Chris Shaffer said. "The top heat indices out there would be down in Morton, Jackpot Junction. If you stepped outside of the casino, it felt like 123 with the heat and humidity. Herman the German was even sweating in New Ulm. It felt like 120 a little closer to home. Plymouth, you had a feel factor of 109 yesterday. At the Science Museum in St. Paul it felt like 111. Over in New Richmond, Wisconsin, 105."
Now it's the dew point that you'll feel in addition to the heat, says National Weather Service forecaster Bill Borghoff.
"We've got lower 80 dew points across basically the entire metro which you know these are some of the highest readings we've ever measured," Borghoff said Monday morning. "This is the second highest dew point that we saw, overnight was 81 and that's the second highest on record."
In fact, it's been 15 years since we've had a dew point this high. It hit 82 in 2011, and the Twin Cities have spent only 28 hours total with a dew point over 80. It's a rare occurrence, without a doubt.
But the conditions are expected to improve dramatically later Monday morning. Forecasters are tracking a cold front and dry air already moving through western Minnesota.
"We're starting to see dry air moving into west central Minnesota right now behind the cold front," says Borghoff. "Dew points will plummet into the 60s by this afternoon. It's going to be very noticeable if you walk outside early this morning. You'll feel it feels like the tropics. By midday or so it's going to feel a lot better."
Shaffer does say the Heat Advisory stays in effect for Monday, even with that slight drop in humidity.
"So, we will not feel like that today, but it's still gonna feel 95 to 100 possibly this afternoon," Shaffer says. "That's why we have the Heat Advisory until 8:00 tonight. The raw numbers, partly cloudy, 94 today. That dew point should settle back down into the 60s, fortunately. 71, the overnight low. We'll be in the low 90s the next couple of days. It will be slightly humid again. The worst of it is behind us."
If you're sick of the stifling heat, there's good news on the horizon. Much of the state also needs rain.
"Our next best chance of rain likely doesn't come until Thursday, and then I think you'll love the feel of things Friday and into next weekend," Shaffer predicts. "We're talking about highs in the 80s. Won't that sound good?"
HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM MONDAY
* WHAT...Heat index values up to 100 expected this afternoon.
* WHERE...Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, and Washington Counties.
* WHEN...Until 8 PM Monday evening.
* IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses.
CHRIS SHAFFER'S FORECAST
MONDAY: Partly cloudy and humid. High: 93. NW 8-12 mph.
MONDAY NIGHT: Partly cloudy. Low: 70. NE wind 3-7 mph.
TUESDAY: Partly cloudy. High: 90. E wind 3-5 mph.
WEDNESDAY: Mostly sunny. High of 92.
Average high and low….83/65
