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Twin Cities, southern Minnesota brace for a 100-degree scorcher

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Angela Swinford is making her first visit to the Minnesota State Fair this year, and on Tuesday noticed one thing right away.

“It feels like the beach in Florida,” said Swinford, of Athens, Ga., who will be operating Classic City Candy Company on the second level of the grandstand with her husband, Brian. “It’s a nice warm welcome.”

Vendors preparing for the Great Minnesota Get-Together did their best to stay cool on what was forecasted to be the hottest day of the year. Temperatures were expected to hit 100 degrees in the Twin Cities, a feat that has only been recorded seven times in August since the 1880s.

Oppressive humidity levels were making things feel even hotter. The National Weather Service issued an excessive heat warning in effect through 10 p.m. Wednesday as conditions were expected to feel as hot as 115 degrees. The Twin Cities, Rochester, St. Cloud, Marshall, Albert Lea and Mankato were included in the warning, the National Weather Service said.

Sweat dripped down the face of Rusty Grocurth, of Tampa, Fla., as he set up his Super Dog booth on Chambers Street at the fairgrounds Tuesday morning. When asked if it felt like south Florida, he said, “It sure does.”

Cloud cover that lingered throughout most of the morning kept temperatures down, but as the sun broke out around lunchtime, temperatures began shooting up. At 1 p.m., the mercury hit 97 in Appleton, Montevideo, Canby and Redwood Falls, all tied for the hottest places in the state.

Eden Prairie was the warmest place in the metro area at 93 degrees at 1 p.m. The temperature at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport was 91 degrees, the Weather Service said.

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On the other end of the spectrum, the temperature in Grand Marais was a chilly 57 degrees, the agency said.

In communities where the heat was expected to reach dangerous levels, events were being rescheduled or canceled. The scorching weather led officials at Canterbury Park to move Wednesday’s start time back 90 minutes, with races beginning at 6:30 p.m.

In Rochester, local officials cancelled several events scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday. The Rochester Police Department called off its last Safe City Nights gathering Tuesday, and a city neighborhood concert at White Oaks Park Wednesday night was cancelled. SPARK, the Children’s Museum of Rochester, moved its free outdoor movie night to Thursday while area schools are moving athletics practices indoors.

Local governments and nonprofits were also offering resources for people in need of a spot to cool down. Hennepin County provided an online map of cooling options — including its 41 libraries — and the Salvation Army offered up its service centers in Minneapolis, St. Paul and Brooklyn Park.

High school sports coaches across the state spent the morning assessing and changing their practice schedules to get an early start on the day and not push players too hard.

Steve Hamilton, coach of defending Class 5A champion Elk River, said he is always cautious when it comes to the amount of practice he asks of his players this time of year.

“We never do two-a-days and we only go mornings,” he wrote in a text message.

The Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) has a heat acclimatization policy in place for football. Practices are allowed regardless of weather for the first two weeks of the season. For practices lasting at least an hour, three rest breaks of at least three minutes each are required each hour. If practices reach two hours, four similar rest breaks are required.

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The league also has policies in place for other sports, including delaying practices until cooler temps move in.

The last time the Twin Cities saw a triple digit reading was on June 20, 2022. Through Monday, the metro area has seen 24 days with highs at 90 degree or higher, and three more are expected this week before temperatures drop into the 80s by Friday and Saturday, the Weather Service said.

But before you complain, the Weather Service posted a tweet with a photo of a snow-covered field and a reminder that much colder days are on the way.

“Remember, this is us in about 4 months.”

Staff writers Jim Paulsen and Trey Mewes contributed to this report



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