Just when the locals and visitors of Borderland thought they’d be able to put away their tank tops, flip-flops and shorts to start dressing for the fall season, the weather had a different, warmer plan.
Monday turned out to be a day of record breaking temperatures. Area residents hit the beach and turned the air conditioning on high as temperatures soared up to almost 90 degrees throughout the day.
It had been a long time since the area had experienced such extreme heat on Aug. 30. During the day, the high temperature of 88 degrees tied for the record, which was set back in 1921.
Later that day, instead of the evening bringing cooler, more comfortable weather conditions like the area has been used to, yet another record was set. The low temperature of 68 degrees set a record for the warmest minimum temperature since 1972.
Meteorologist Tom Lanka of the National Weather Service in Duluth said the cause of Monday’s higher temperatures were the result of jet stream pushing north.
“The cooler air was kept up in Canada,” Lanka said. “What the northern Minnesota region was experiencing was air that came up from the Gulf of Mexico that usually hovers over the southern states.”
The warm, moist air that took up temporary residence in the area had a higher capacity to hold in heat which resulted in temperatures staying fairly high into the later hours.
“If it would have been hot, dry air, it would have cooled off,” Lanka said.
Although temperatures nearing the 90-degree range are uncommon for the Falls this time of year, they are not unheard of.
“This kind of heat can also make an appearance throughout September,” Lanka explained. “We’re not out of the woods just yet.”
Normally, Borderland has average highs around 70 degrees and average lows in the upper 40’s at the end of August.
Despite the rapid heat spell, it looks to be a chilly Labor Day weekend with below normal temperatures.
“We will be seeing temps in the low 60’s and upper 50’s,” Lanka said.
He doubts any records will be broken, however. The record low was 32 degrees set in 1908.
The sudden shift back to cooler temperatures is a result of just the opposite of what was experienced Monday. Instead of getting southern air, the jet stream will dig south pulling the brisk Canadian air with it.
There will be no need to pull the sweaters out for winter quite yet, though.
“We’re expecting temperatures to warm back up by mid-week next week,” Lanka reassured. “We’ll be back up into the 70’s. There is still some summer left.”
