Near-record heat kicks in, forcing changes to Friday night prep sports schedules across metro

The calendar says autumn but near record-breaking temperatures Friday made it feel like summer.

A high temperature of 94 degrees combined with a record-breaking dew point of 73 to make it feel like 101 degrees.

Friday's high temperature fell short of tying the 95-degree record set in 1936.

With a heat advisory posted for most of southern Minnesota, high school sports teams took precautions, such as pushing some afternoon games into the evening. At least two events have been postponed:

• Football: Breck at Minneapolis North has been moved to noon Saturday at North. North's field does not have lights, so the game can't be moved later in the day.

• Boys' soccer: A game between the Charter Stars and St. Paul Prep was postponed, with no new date immediately scheduled.

With a full slate of football games Friday, athletic directors spent the morning planning for ways to keep athletes cool. A few have moved football start times back to allow the sun to set before opening kickoff. Benilde-St. Margaret's, which hosts Chanhassen, and Academy Force (a six-school coop headed up by New Life Academy), which hosts Mound Westonka, have both moved their games back to 7:30 p.m. The St. Paul Central-St. Paul Highland Park game has been moved from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Highland Park.

Many other schools did not change times but were taking steps to ensure athlete's safety.

Mahtomedi will have extra ice on the sidelines and "we hope to arrange for some cooling fans," Zephyrs AD Ray Kirch said. There will be extra water breaks allowed and the breaks between quarters will be extended during the game between St. Michael-Albertville and Centennial, while at Holy Angels, ice towels and mandatory water breaks will be provided. Monticello AD Gary Revenig said there will be added water break in the middle of quarters "when there's a break in the action."

Hutchinson AD Thayne Johnson said he has been in touch with officials for tonight's game at Becker to provide in-game cooling breaks for players. "We are working with the officials to make sure we have extra water breaks built in and taking extra time between quarters," Johnson wrote in an email. He added that the same recommendations were in place for Friday's girls' tennis match at Mankato West.

A few metro schools had already moved their football start times from 7 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in observance of the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah, which last from sundown Thursday to sundown Friday. That, said Wayzata AD Jaime Sherwood, has proved advantageous for dealing with the expected game-time conditions. "We caught a break," Sherwood said.

Games were canceled Friday for other reasons.

Jordan vs. Belle Plaine was canceled due to an outbreak of impetigo, a bacterial skin infection, among Belle Plaine football players. The schools did not indicate whether the game would be rescheduled.

Heat and humidity continue Saturday with a high of 88 degrees and into Sunday. But fall-like weather returns next week with temperatures dipping into the 70s.

That continued heat, however, forced race organizers to cancel Sunday's 10-mile Women Run the Cities races.

The shorter races – the 1-mile, 5K and 10K races will still be held but runners are advised to slow their pace and use extreme caution.

Race organizers said temperatures are expected to be 73 degrees with a dewpoint in the upper 60s at 8 a.m. The National Weather Service predicts a high temperature of 85 on Sunday along with the humid conditions.

"We take safety very seriously," she said.

The 10-mile and 10K runners who prefer to run a shorter distance "are encouraged to do so," organizers said.