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MN weather: Twin Cities saw record warmth in September

By FOX 9 Staff
Published  October 1, 2024 9:20am CDT
Weather
FOX 9

Making the most of a summer-like fall weather

It was the warmest and driest September ever recorded in Minnesota, and the mild fall weather has created plenty of ways to spend some free time outside.

The Brief

    • It was the first September in the Twin Cities that's seen an average temperature above 70 degrees.
    • Fall months in the Twin Cities continue to trend warmer and drier. This September was no different.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - It was a warm, dry September in Minnesota, marking the first September the Twin Cities has seen the average temperature eclipse the 70-degree mark. 

Fall trending warmer, drier

Warm, dry September in Twin Cities

It was a warm and dry September in the Twin Cities. This comes as fall months are trending warmer and drier for the region. FOX 9's Cody Matz explains.

September 2024 is the second consecutive September the Twin Cities has experienced the warmest on record as the fall months continue to trend warmer and drier over the past few decades. 

That rings true this year for rainfall as well. The Twin Cities has seen less than a tenth of an inch of rain over the last 30 days, which is also a record. 

Driest Septembers in the Twin Cities since 1872. 

Looking at the Upper Midwest, much of the region was well below average, with several climate districts from northeast Nebraska through central Minnesota to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan experiencing the driest September on record. 

Upper Midwest climate districts.

Most of the Upper Midwest climate districts were in the top 10 driest, dating back to the late 1800s. 

Warm spell in Minnesota in September

READ MORE: Minnesota weather: A very warm and dry September

September started a little cool in Minnesota, but a warm air mass took over by Sept. 9 or Sept. 10. This led to high temperatures in the 80s on most days for much of Minnesota for much of the rest of the month, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Climate Journal published on Sept. 24.

Between Sept. 9 and Sept. 21, almost all reporting weather stations recorded at least six days with a high temperature of at least 80 degrees. The highest temperature recorded during that time was 92 degrees in Granite Falls, with only a few other communities in southwestern Minnesota hitting 90 degrees, the Climate Journal notes. 

"The air temperatures during this warm spell would have been above normal in the middle of July in most areas. And though these temperatures are not the highest of 2024, the large departures from normal over a relatively long period make this the largest warm spell since June 1," the Climate Journal said. 

That put September on track to be among the warmest on record for Minnesota. 

The Source

  • FOX 9 Meteorologist Cody Matz and the Minnesota Climate Journal.