The weather pattern remains highly amplified and isn’t expected to change through at least this weekend. The Northland will stay under an upper-level ridge, keeping conditions dry, though a backdoor cold front moving south and west could trigger a few isolated showers or thunderstorms Friday afternoon and evening, mainly along the North Shore and Arrowhead.
A chilly start to May 2026 has given way to an impressive late-month heat wave across parts of the northern Plains, though this burst of warmth hasn’t yet managed to wipe out the below-normal temperature anomalies for the month.
The map below shows the average temperature departure for May 2026 through the 26th, with green indicating below-average temperatures and orange indicating above-average temperatures.
Aside from much of Florida and parts of the western U.S., most of the country has experienced a cool May.
A large upper-level ridge and sinking air have been keeping the northern Plains hot.
Fargo, ND has seen three straight days with highs of at least 90 degrees, and it looks like a few more scorchers are on the way.
In May, Fargo usually sees just one day with temperatures reaching 90 or higher, but the record stands at seven days, set in both 2023 and 1934.
This week in Fargo saw several days in the 90s, but only one new record high. On May 26, temperatures climbed to 96 degrees, surpassing the old record of 93 degrees, which had stood since 1911, 1931, and 2018.
In northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin, highs will be in the 70s and 80s on Thursday, climbing mostly into the 80s on Friday with a few areas hitting the low 90s. The weekend will bring temperatures in the 70s and 80s.
Near Lake Superior, it will stay much cooler, especially on Thursday and again from Saturday to Sunday, with highs likely in the 50s. Another round of brisk northeast winds is expected late Friday night into Saturday.
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