Labor Day heat is likely to be just short of a record in Twin Cities

FOLLOWING weather factors:

• Monday and Tuesday severe heat
• Air quality alert for Tuesday-Wednesday morning in NW Minnesota
• Severe storms possible Tuesday afternoon into the evening

MINNEAPOLIS– NEXT Weather warnings are in effect on Monday and Tuesday due to the severe heat. Air quality is also expected to worsen in northwestern Minnesota on Tuesday.

Highlights will be in the upper 90s in the Twin Cities on Labor Day, the last day of the Minnesota State Fair. The high of 97 will be just below the daily record set in 1925 (98).

Tuesday will be cooler, but only slightly, with maximums around the 1990s. A heat advisory will remain in effect until 5 p.m. Tuesday in metro, southeastern Minnesota and some communities in the north.

On Monday, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency announced that an air quality alert due to Canadian wildfire smoke will be in effect in northwestern Minnesota from 6 a.m. Tuesday through 9 a.m. Wednesday. Affected areas include Alexandria, Ortonville, Bemidji, East Grand Forks, Moorhead, Roseau, and the Leech Lake and Red Lake tribal nations.

It’s an orange-level warning, indicating that the air will be unhealthy for sensitive groups.

Storms are possible Tuesday evening through Wednesday morning. There is a small risk of severe storms for all but Northwestern Minnesota, with central Minnesota and eastern Minnesota at higher risk, including the Twin Cities.

Then comes a huge cooling. The maximums will be in the lower 70s on Wednesday and Thursday before rising into the mid and upper 70s before the weekend.