Possible showers, heat rolling in for the Minnesota State Fair’s first weekend
Manchester Orchestra and Bad Bad Hats performed at the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand for the Music On-A-Stick concert on August 27, 2022.
Darin Kamnetz for MPR
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Besides the smoky skies, it has been a pleasant week of weather. But things could be heating up soon. MPR Chief Meteorologist joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer with details on the forecast — and when to catch the next supermoon.
For more on the latest weather forecast, visit the Updraft.
Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.
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Audio transcript
CATHY WURZER: Well, we had a little smoke in the upper atmosphere here earlier this week. But other than that, it's been a pretty pleasant week of weather. However, if you like heat and humidity, hang on. It's coming. Joining us right now with the forecast is MPR's chief meteorologist, Paul Huttner. Hey, welcome back.
PAUL HUTTNER: Hey, good to talk with you, Cathy. Yeah, some "Wurzer" weather is on the way this weekend.
CATHY WURZER: Right in time for the first weekend of the fair, too, which is a little uncomfortable. In fact, I was thinking just yesterday the one state fair appearance I've made in my career that is the most memorable was with you and Mark Sealy. It was that sweat fest that we had. It was so hot.
PAUL HUTTNER: Yes. It was a great day. That brings me back to, because this time of year I'm always reminded, the first TV weather hit I ever did was at the Minnesota State Fair. It was in 1989. I was at the National Weather Service booth. Bud Kraehling, during the weather on the noon show, tossed it to me. It was just, I love the fair. I love getting out there every year and meeting everybody.
CATHY WURZER: Yeah, it's fun. I can't believe it's here tomorrow So as we look at the fair weather, well, it's going to be hot, obviously, as we say, this first weekend of the fair.
PAUL HUTTNER: Yeah, it is. It looks like we'll hit 90 on Sunday, probably 85 Saturday. And those dew points will climb up through the 60s Saturday and probably the 70s Sunday. So it is going to be uber "Wurzer" weather by Sunday. And, Cathy, it's interesting because there's a wide range of weather historically at the fair. Typically, we do get one to two days of 90 degree heat. The hottest fair was back in 1931, those dirty 30s. The average high for the entire run of the fair was 92.6 degrees. That is just off the charts.
It's been as cold as 62 degrees for the average high for the fair back in 1898. So we've even had some years without 90s. In fact, nine consecutive years, no 90 degree heat-- you might remember this-- from 2014 to 2022. So it can be a wild run of weather at the fair. And it looks, like I said, really nice tomorrow and into Friday. Maybe just an isolated chance of a thunder shower Thursday. And then a steamy weekend, but it could get cooler late next week.
CATHY WURZER: Mm-hmm. I even hate to bring this up, but signs of fall?
PAUL HUTTNER: Yeah, at least temporarily, Cathy. It snowed in Alaska yesterday in some of the higher terrain. And the upper air pattern is going to shove some of that colder air into Minnesota, it looks like, late next week. So it looks like through the middle of next week, we'll still be warm, highs in the 80s. I know next Wednesday is a big day at the fair because you're going to be doing the weather quiz with Mark Sealy at noon.
And I'll be out there with the weather team that day at 3:30 at the MPR booth with Sven Sundgaard and Mandy Thalhuber. And we're going to talk about weather and climate. But after that, it looks like that front could come through Thursday, Friday-ish. And we might even see highs in the 60s by next Friday or Saturday, with some 50s in northern Minnesota.
CATHY WURZER: It's just a little taste to just get us ready. That's what--
PAUL HUTTNER: I think so. Yes, we'll see. It looks like we may ease back into late summer temperatures after that.
CATHY WURZER: Oh, OK. That's positive. Say, I thought driving into work yesterday was just so lovely to see the supermoon in the sky. It was beautiful, right?
PAUL HUTTNER: Yeah.
CATHY WURZER: So was that the first supermoon? And do we have more ahead of us?
PAUL HUTTNER: We do. It's going to be an active fall. Of course, Monday was the full blue supermoon. It was 6% closer to the Earth and about 13% brighter. Cool rising through that smoke layer, too. But we've got another one in September that is the super harvest moon because it's closest to the equinox. And that one will actually have a partial lunar eclipse. Just a small bite out of the moon that day around 11:30 that night. And it'll be even closer than the one we had.
And then also October 17 and November 15, all of those are supermoons, closer to the Earth than the other moons of the year. So they will appear a little bit brighter. So if we get some clear skies on those evenings, it should be pretty nice out there.
CATHY WURZER: I'm still waiting for another shot at the northern lights. I screwed it up earlier when we had the really big aurora display. Missed that completely. I guess the most recent one, was it earlier in the week or last weekend? Something like that. Missed that one, too. So, yeah, my record's not great. Say, Climate Cast, that's coming up.
PAUL HUTTNER: Yeah, climate change, we know, is changing all kinds of seasons, right, especially here around the Upper Midwest. And it turns out it's actually changing the bird flu season in dairy cows and poultry. So we're going to talk about that this week and to see livestock farmers are dealing with here as these seasons change with warmer falls and earlier springs around the Upper Midwest. That's tomorrow on Climate Cast on All Things Considered.
CATHY WURZER: Good, which is something I'm sure folks at the fair will be talking about, the folks in the poultry and the dairy barn. Say, before you go, just really quickly for listeners, because we do have a lot happening at the fair, Mark Sealy is going to join us on Almanac at the MPR booth on Friday. And as you mentioned, next week, give us the date where you and Mandy and Sven will be there at the booth.
PAUL HUTTNER: Yeah, Wednesday, the 28th, we'll be at the MPR booth at the corner of Judson and Nelson. We're going to have the entire MPR weather team there and do a little weather chat, talk a little bit of climate, and answer some questions from the audience. Always a great time out at the fair.
CATHY WURZER: It is fun. All right, thank you so much. Have a great rest of the day.
PAUL HUTTNER: Thanks, Z.
CATHY WURZER: That is MPR Chief Meteorologist Paul Huttner. You can listen to him every day, Monday through Friday, with Tom Crann on All Things Considered.
PAUL HUTTNER: Hey, good to talk with you, Cathy. Yeah, some "Wurzer" weather is on the way this weekend.
CATHY WURZER: Right in time for the first weekend of the fair, too, which is a little uncomfortable. In fact, I was thinking just yesterday the one state fair appearance I've made in my career that is the most memorable was with you and Mark Sealy. It was that sweat fest that we had. It was so hot.
PAUL HUTTNER: Yes. It was a great day. That brings me back to, because this time of year I'm always reminded, the first TV weather hit I ever did was at the Minnesota State Fair. It was in 1989. I was at the National Weather Service booth. Bud Kraehling, during the weather on the noon show, tossed it to me. It was just, I love the fair. I love getting out there every year and meeting everybody.
CATHY WURZER: Yeah, it's fun. I can't believe it's here tomorrow So as we look at the fair weather, well, it's going to be hot, obviously, as we say, this first weekend of the fair.
PAUL HUTTNER: Yeah, it is. It looks like we'll hit 90 on Sunday, probably 85 Saturday. And those dew points will climb up through the 60s Saturday and probably the 70s Sunday. So it is going to be uber "Wurzer" weather by Sunday. And, Cathy, it's interesting because there's a wide range of weather historically at the fair. Typically, we do get one to two days of 90 degree heat. The hottest fair was back in 1931, those dirty 30s. The average high for the entire run of the fair was 92.6 degrees. That is just off the charts.
It's been as cold as 62 degrees for the average high for the fair back in 1898. So we've even had some years without 90s. In fact, nine consecutive years, no 90 degree heat-- you might remember this-- from 2014 to 2022. So it can be a wild run of weather at the fair. And it looks, like I said, really nice tomorrow and into Friday. Maybe just an isolated chance of a thunder shower Thursday. And then a steamy weekend, but it could get cooler late next week.
CATHY WURZER: Mm-hmm. I even hate to bring this up, but signs of fall?
PAUL HUTTNER: Yeah, at least temporarily, Cathy. It snowed in Alaska yesterday in some of the higher terrain. And the upper air pattern is going to shove some of that colder air into Minnesota, it looks like, late next week. So it looks like through the middle of next week, we'll still be warm, highs in the 80s. I know next Wednesday is a big day at the fair because you're going to be doing the weather quiz with Mark Sealy at noon.
And I'll be out there with the weather team that day at 3:30 at the MPR booth with Sven Sundgaard and Mandy Thalhuber. And we're going to talk about weather and climate. But after that, it looks like that front could come through Thursday, Friday-ish. And we might even see highs in the 60s by next Friday or Saturday, with some 50s in northern Minnesota.
CATHY WURZER: It's just a little taste to just get us ready. That's what--
PAUL HUTTNER: I think so. Yes, we'll see. It looks like we may ease back into late summer temperatures after that.
CATHY WURZER: Oh, OK. That's positive. Say, I thought driving into work yesterday was just so lovely to see the supermoon in the sky. It was beautiful, right?
PAUL HUTTNER: Yeah.
CATHY WURZER: So was that the first supermoon? And do we have more ahead of us?
PAUL HUTTNER: We do. It's going to be an active fall. Of course, Monday was the full blue supermoon. It was 6% closer to the Earth and about 13% brighter. Cool rising through that smoke layer, too. But we've got another one in September that is the super harvest moon because it's closest to the equinox. And that one will actually have a partial lunar eclipse. Just a small bite out of the moon that day around 11:30 that night. And it'll be even closer than the one we had.
And then also October 17 and November 15, all of those are supermoons, closer to the Earth than the other moons of the year. So they will appear a little bit brighter. So if we get some clear skies on those evenings, it should be pretty nice out there.
CATHY WURZER: I'm still waiting for another shot at the northern lights. I screwed it up earlier when we had the really big aurora display. Missed that completely. I guess the most recent one, was it earlier in the week or last weekend? Something like that. Missed that one, too. So, yeah, my record's not great. Say, Climate Cast, that's coming up.
PAUL HUTTNER: Yeah, climate change, we know, is changing all kinds of seasons, right, especially here around the Upper Midwest. And it turns out it's actually changing the bird flu season in dairy cows and poultry. So we're going to talk about that this week and to see livestock farmers are dealing with here as these seasons change with warmer falls and earlier springs around the Upper Midwest. That's tomorrow on Climate Cast on All Things Considered.
CATHY WURZER: Good, which is something I'm sure folks at the fair will be talking about, the folks in the poultry and the dairy barn. Say, before you go, just really quickly for listeners, because we do have a lot happening at the fair, Mark Sealy is going to join us on Almanac at the MPR booth on Friday. And as you mentioned, next week, give us the date where you and Mandy and Sven will be there at the booth.
PAUL HUTTNER: Yeah, Wednesday, the 28th, we'll be at the MPR booth at the corner of Judson and Nelson. We're going to have the entire MPR weather team there and do a little weather chat, talk a little bit of climate, and answer some questions from the audience. Always a great time out at the fair.
CATHY WURZER: It is fun. All right, thank you so much. Have a great rest of the day.
PAUL HUTTNER: Thanks, Z.
CATHY WURZER: That is MPR Chief Meteorologist Paul Huttner. You can listen to him every day, Monday through Friday, with Tom Crann on All Things Considered.
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