I can’t guarantee a smoke-free experience with winds swirling out of Canada, but this may be one of the drier, more comfortable Minnesota State Fairs we’ve experienced in recent years. After waves of monsoon-like thunderstorms in recent weeks, our timing is pretty good. Highs in the 70s and low 80s? Yes, please.
Late August can bring big extremes. According to the Minnesota DNR, the hottest temperature ever recorded at the fairgrounds was 104 degrees on Sept. 10, 1931. The coldest State Fair morning in recent years was a nippy 36 on Sept. 1, 1974. Less cold beer consumption that year, I reckon. The wettest fair was in 1977, with 9.48 inches over 12 days. Yikes! Yes, it can always be worse.
It’ll be a little sticky out there Thursday with dew points in the 60s, but the sun should be out with low 80s by midafternoon. A stray thunderstorm Friday gives way to a touch of late September this weekend. Dry but cool, with daytime highs in the 60s Sunday and Monday. A comfortable front is coming, but we haven’t seen the last 90 just yet.
