Hottest Spot In The U.S. Right Now Is In Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Normally, Minnesota revels in being known as the coldest area in the nation. On Friday, we flipped the script.

As of 2 p.m., the National Weather Service said that Two Harbors was 93 degrees, which tied with McAllen, Texas for the balmiest weather in the United States.

And, in fact, the heat broke standing records in the Twin Cities. Once the mercury reached 90 degrees at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, that shattered the previous record of 89 degrees from all the way back in 1934.

"The heat developed yesterday in -- of all places -- southern Canada, with Winnipeg reaching 93°F; the symptom of a much bigger summer-type pattern that has helped wildfires in Alberta grow to epic and dangerous proportions," WCCO meteorologist Mike Augustyniak said. "As that pattern nudged east today, the heat spilled into Minnesota. Our warm-up, too, was aided by dry air, dry ground, and vegetation that doesn't fully have its leaves yet."

The record-busting heat won't stick around, though. The seven-day forecast calls for a cooling trend to start as soon as tomorrow. Highs will be in the 70s Saturday and Sunday, and Monday starts a string of days in the 60s, with rain returning.