Minnesota
What defines a heat wave?
Minnesota is in the midst of a sizzling stretch of summer-like weather. Something unique for this time of year.
A packed Nokomis Beach, soaked in sunshine and steaming close to 90 degrees, would make you think it’s a mid-summer day. But it’s just mid-May.
Several beachgoers WCCO talked with described the day as hot but bearable thanks to a lake breeze.
Still, temperatures that feel like late July for a four-day stretch had them calling it a heat wave.
What defines a heat wave?
“I think it’s in the eye of the beholder,” said Ken Blumenfeld, a senior climatologist with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
According to the National Weather Service (NWS), a heat wave is a “period of abnormally hot weather generally lasting more than two days. Heat waves can occur with or without high humidity.”
There was no specific temperature listed, but the NWS added that a heat wave often involves dangerously hot weather that could harm people.
Blumenfeld looks at heat waves from a statistical perspective. “In climatology it’s just extreme warmth relative to the time of year,” he said.
May 11 to May 14, the daily high temperature hit or was forecasted to land around 90 degrees. The average high for this time of year is around 67 to 68 degrees according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). That means the Twin Cities is running least 20 degrees warmer than usual.
“If it’s supposed to be like 60 right now but right now, we’re having all this heat, it’s gotta be a heat wave,” said Ambuskah Little Voice while at the beach with friends.
Blumenfeld also understands that public health workers have their own definition.
“[They] might consider a heat wave to be something that could cause human bodies to have problems keeping itself cool naturally,” said Blumenfeld.
That’s usually in peak summer when high humidity combines with high temperatures, creating dangerous conditions leading to heat stroke and exhaustion.
“Heat during late May and even late September and October tends to be really dry compared to the kind of heat you get in July and August,” said Blumenfeld.
If nights are comfortably cool, is it still a heat wave?
“That’s where it gets a little iffy,” Blumenfeld said.
A heat wave in mid-summer could have nights in the 70s while the air remains thick. In May, the daily low temperatures have settled in the 60s and even 50s, creating a difference of 25 to 30 degrees, even larger during this current heat wave. The air also pleasantly dry.
Could you have a heat wave in the winter?
Beachgoers said both yes and no. Heat isn’t a word typically associated with the coldest time of year, but there’s no denying that it still arrives in surprising fashion.
“We can have heat waves in winter if you’re looking at it statistically,” Blumenfeld said.
Consider late December 2023, the Twin Cities hit 55 degrees on Christmas Eve, then 54 degrees on Christmas day along with relatively high humidity. That’s extreme warmth for the holiday season, heating up the debate on how to label these steamy stretches.
“Defining a heat wave really kind of depends on who’s asking,” Blumenfeld said.
The most recent extreme heat for the month of May came in 2018. That’s when much of Minnesota hit 100 degrees on Memorial Day.
Maybe the first quarter Thursday night was some sort of basketball hangover.
In a 92-75 victory over Washington on Thursday at Target Center, the Lynx spotted the Mystics an early 10-point lead. They trailed by eight after the first quarter.
Then Napheesa Collier and Minnesota took over. The Lynx (15-2) finished the second quarter on a 19-6 run to go up by five. Then they started the second half 17-4.
Collier scored 28 points, this after going 0-for-3 with no points in the first quarter. She had 10 of Minnesota’s 27 second-quarter points, nine of the team’s 27 in the third, nine more in the fourth. She finished 11-for-21 overall, making all five of her free throws; she has now made 33 straight. Alanna Smith, Kayla McBride and Courtney Williams all scored 10. Williams had eight assists, Smith three blocks.
Washington (8-10) was led by Lucy Olsen’s 19 points off the bench.
A published scale determines how long an ignition interlock program participant must use the IID, with time ranging from two to 10 years. Factors include previous offenses, a driver’s blood alcohol level, whether a driver refused a roadside test and if an offender was under 21. Failure to adhere to program requirements can tack on more time.
Ignition interlock program participants must demonstrate abstinence by “regular and consistent” use of the device. DPS defines that as providing 30 successful initial breath tests per month. Failed or missed tests can result in sanctions that include dismissal from the program and loss of all driving privileges, and possible criminal charges.
Tampering with or removing a device, not having the device calibrated by a certified dealer every 60 days or having someone else provide a breath sample also lead to sanctions. Program participants must drive a vehicle equipped with an IID. Renting a car without one is not permissible.
Drunk driving arrests in Minnesota annually topped 35,000 in the mid-2000s and something had to be done. State law allowed for a pilot project in Hennepin and Beltrami counties, and the results showed the devices were effective in reducing DWI recidivism. The pilot became law statewide.
Drivers getting an device pay for installation, removal, leasing, inspections to keep the device calibrated, insurance costs, damaged equipment and license reinstatement. The cost can add up several hundred dollars on top of court-imposed fines. The cost to the state is zero.
Minnesota Aurora FC closed out its fourth consecutive unbeaten USL W League regular season with a 2-0 victory over Rochester FC on Saturday at TCO Stadium.
Elizabeth Rapp converted a penalty kick in the eighth minute and Natalie Tavana scored in the 51st minute for the Aurora (10-0-2), who earned their fourth consecutive Heartland Division regular-season title.
The Aurora will be the top seed in the four-team Central Conference playoffs, which begin Friday in Pittsburgh’s Highmark Stadium; the conference championship game will be two days later.
“Traveling is always challenging, but part of what we’ve gotten from our regular season is traveling and playing compact games, and it shouldn’t be a new experience for a player,” head coach Jen Larrick said. “The vast majority of our group is healthy and in a good spot, and we have a lot of really strong players to choose from.”
Kings Hammer FC Cincinnati (Valley Division) will be the No. 2 seed. Great Forest Division champion Pittsburgh Riveters SC, an expansion team, has also qualified for the playoffs.
The fourth Central Conference playoff team will be the Great Lakes Division champion — either AFC Ann Arbor or Detroit City FC. Detroit City FC beat Kalamazoo FC 3-1 on Saturday to take a two-point lead in the standings over AFC Ann Arbor, which finishes the regular season Sunday against Toledo Villa FC.
Minnesota Aurora have yet to lose a regular-season match in franchise history. The Aurora are 43-0-5 record in four seasons.
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