Yes, Minnesota’s Fall Weather IS Now Getting Warmer

The calendar may say that it's mid-September but according to Minnesota's weather, it's still the middle of summer.

If you've been longing for those cool fall days and crisp nights around a bonfire or out at a football game, Mother Nature hasn't been cooperating much this year here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Temperatures across the state the past week and a half have been more similar to the weather we normally see in the summer, not fall.

Well, *technically* it IS still summer. According to Time and Date, the September equinox, which marks the first day of autumn here in the Bold North, won't happen until 7:43 am this coming Sunday, September 22nd.

ALSO INTERESTING: MN's Shortest -- And Cheapest -- Flight Is Going Away For Good

However, according to Meteorological Fall, autumn actually started over two weeks ago, even though it hasn't felt much like it. CBS News notes that meteorologists define fall as September through November for record-keeping purposes. Meteorological winter is then December through February, with meteorological spring running from March through May and meteorological summer from June through August.

And so far this fall, it has been HOT in the North Star State. The National Weather Service office in the Twin Cities notes that average temperatures throughout the first weeks of September are usually around 72 degrees. But so far this September, the Twin Cities has sweated through 8 days where the high temperature has topped 80 degrees, with the warmest so far being 89 degrees on September 16.

Get our free mobile app

Last year was also a warm one when it came to fall temperatures. According to DNR data, average temperatures in Minnesota during September 2023 ran 5.8 degrees above normal, thanks to an early heatwave that saw temperatures well into the triple digits in many parts of the state over the Labor Day weekend.

Axios Twin Cities says those temperatures mirror a trend that has been happening for a while now-- autumns ARE getting warmer in Minnesota. In fact, fall temperatures have warmed by 3.6 degrees in the Twin Cities since 1970, Axios says, noting that's a faster pace than the national average of 2.5 degrees.

So, if trends continue, we'll just have to be patient before we bust out those cozy fall flannel shirts and sweatshirts, and keep those shorts and t-shirts handy well later into the calendar year!

Listen to Curt St. John and Samm Adams in the Morning
weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m. on Quick Country 96.5