Near record dew point today in MSP?

Looking at some of the projected dew point temperatures for Sunday, Minneapolis-St. Paul will be very close to hitting the all-time record of 81-degrees on July 30, 1999.  The short-term forecast model, the Rapid Update Cycle (RUC), has done a good job at projecting temperatures and dew points, and will use it's projections.  Earlier this morning, it was indicating an unbearable dew point value of 81-degrees just around sunset.

Looking at the latest data, the RUC has now indicates a dew point around 83-degrees around 10 PM!  The Global Forecast System (GFS) also hints at 80-plus degree dew points, but it’s generally not reliable in the short-term, and I don’t put much stock in it within 24 hours of an event.

Based on the 9 AM temperature and dew point observations around the Twin Cities, it is quite possible that there will be areas that see dew points in the low 80s later on today.  At MSP airport, the temperature is already 85-degrees, with a dew point at a very sticky 77-degrees!

CITY           SKY/WX    TMP DP
TWIN CITIES    MOSUNNY   85  77
ST PAUL        SUNNY     84  79
CRYSTAL        MOSUNNY   85  78
BLAINE         SUNNY     82  79
EDEN PRAIRIE   SUNNY     85  79
LAKEVILLE      SUNNY     82  77
SOUTH ST PAUL  SUNNY     84  77
LAKE ELMO      PTSUNNY   82  79

With the higher dew points, I’m going to knock my temperature forecast down a degree and go with a high temperature of 97-degrees for Sunday.  Heat indices will be in excess of 105-degrees for most of the day, so you’ll want to find a cool place quickly.  This type of weather leads to heat exhaustion quickly, and I don’t recommend ANY physical outdoor activity today.  Stay indoors.

RS