Scorching Trends: Will Minnesota’s Summer Be Hot or the Hottest?

2023 was by far the Earth's warmest year ever since the beginning of global records in 1850. Climate experts at NOAA have predicted that 2024 could be even warmer.

NOAA says according to NCEI, there is now a 55% chance 2024 will be warmer than 2023, and a 99% chance this year will rank in the top five warmest years.

March 2024 has already ranked as the warmest March in the planet's recorded climate history, and April 2024 continued the streak making it 10 record-breaking warm months in a row.

So what does this potentially mean for summer weather in Minnesota this year?

Weather Forecast for Summer 2024 in Minnesota

Summer officially begins in June in North America every year, but summer 2024 will mark the earliest start to the season in 128 years. The summer solstice this year is on Thursday, June 20, 2024.

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The Farmers' Almanac gives a sweeping "warm and seasonally stormy" summer forecast for what they call the North Central part of the country.

"Areas in the North Central region are predicted to see a seesaw of summer temperatures with an overall warm season, but with occasional cold Canadian air blowing in," Farmers' Almanac says in their 2024 summer weather forecast.

How Hot Will It Be In Minnesota This Summer?

NOAA's prediction for June, July, and August across the majority of Minnesota is equal chances for above-normal, normal, and below-normal temperatures. The eastern part of the state is leaning toward hotter-than-normal temperatures with a 33-40 percent chance for an unseasonably scorching summer.

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Accuweather predicts record-setting heat waves in the upper midwest along with temperatures anywhere from 2 to 4+ degrees higher than historical averages.

For reference, average summer temps in Minnesota range from the mid-80s in the south to the upper 70s in the state's northern areas.

How Much Rain Will Minnesota Get This Summer?

As far as the amount of rainfall we get across Minnesota this summer, NOAA predicts for most of the Land of 10,000 Lakes, again, it could go either way with equal chances for above-normal, normal, and below-normal precipitation.

The southwestern tip of Minnesota is looking at a 33-40 percent chance of below-normal precipitation this summer.

Average rainfall during the summer months (June-Aug) in the Twin Cities is about 12.5 inches total

Weather Pattern Shifting From El Niño to La Niña

Meteorologists tell us weather patterns are shifting from El Niño to La Niña, which typically means a swing to cooler and wetter seasons in the short term.

The shift from hot and dry to cool and wet would be a welcome relief for some areas of Minnesota still experiencing abnormally dry to moderate drought conditions.

Time will tell if this summer in Minnesota will be a dry scorcher or wet and mild, still, either way, chances are rising for 2024 to rank among the world's warmest in recorded history of the world.

While we're setting records, check out the list of extreme temps to beat in every state in the gallery below.