Excessive Heat in Benton, Minnesota

Several temperature gauges measured heat indices between 105 and 110 degrees during the afternoon and evening hours.

This heat event was more pronounced than the previous one in June. Dew points pooled ahead of a frontal boundary Tuesday afternoon, August 2nd. These dew points that rose into the 70s combined with actual temperatures in the mid to upper 90s to support heat indices in the 100 to 115 degree range for several hours during the afternoon and evening of Tuesday, August 2nd. At one point Tuesday afternoon, heat indices rose to 115 degrees at Hutchinson, 114 degrees at Granite Falls, and 112 degrees at both Redwood Falls and New Ulm. Just west of the Twin Cities, heat indices were highest near Buffalo which rose to 111 degrees.