Minnesota, 2020

Excessive Heat in Minnesota, July 24, 2020

July 24, 2020 · NWS FGF · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

Afternoon high temperatures over eastern North Dakota and the northwest quarter of Minnesota peaked in the upper 80s to mid 90s on July 24th. Combined with dew points in the middle 70s to lower 80s, heat indices over the Red River Valley rose into the 105 to 110 range during the afternoon and early evening.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
6

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS FGF wrote it up.

Afternoon high temperatures over eastern North Dakota and the northwest quarter of Minnesota peaked in the upper 80s to mid 90s on July 24th. Combined with dew points in the middle 70s to lower 80s, heat indices over the Red River Valley rose into the 105 to 110 range during the afternoon and early evening.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Grand Forks, ND wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 24, 9:00 AM CST, 2 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 24, 9:00 AM CST, 2 hours before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 24, 3:58 AM CST, 7 hours 2 minutes before
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 excessive heat. Local standard time, as filed.

Excessive Heat, Wilkin

When
July 24, 11:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Wilkin forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
46.357, -96.468 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, Clay

When
July 24, 11:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Clay forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
46.892, -96.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, Norman

When
July 24, 11:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Norman forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
47.327, -96.455 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, West Polk

When
July 24, 11:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
West Polk forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
47.774, -96.402 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, West Marshall

When
July 24, 2:28 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
West Marshall forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
48.358, -96.368 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, Kittson

When
July 24, 2:28 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Kittson forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
48.777, -96.783 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Excessive Heat
Heat at or above the local excessive heat warning criteria, or heat that caused deaths.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Minnesota in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, July 2020

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 896218, 896219, 896220, 896221, 896223, 896224.