After a stretch of very warm to hot weather in the Northland, a wave of cooler air is on its way for Tuesday and Wednesday.
On Tuesday, 850mb temperatures are expected to drop to around +5 to +10°C in our area, the lowest in several weeks. This should mean daytime highs in the 60s to low 70s, with some northern spots possibly struggling to reach 60.
Tuesday, July 21st, will mark the first day since July 8th that Duluth’s high temperature won’t hit at least 80 degrees. That’s a streak of 12 straight days with highs of 80 or warmer, which is pretty impressive for Duluth.
So far this month, Duluth has seen 17 days with highs of at least 80 degrees, compared to the July average of 11 days, and 4 days reaching at least 90 degrees, well above the usual July average of just 1 day.
In July 2012, Duluth had the most days at or above 80 degrees, with 25 days, followed closely by 24 days in July 1988.
Widespread 80s in the area once again today with Duluth Sky Harbor Airport hitting 90 degrees.
A glance at the high temperatures for July 20th.
Northeast Minnesota is experiencing one of its top five warmest Julys on record for the climate district, dating back to 1893.
Here’s a snapshot of the average temperature departure for July 2026 up to the 19th.
Hibbing, MN: +7.3 degrees
International Falls, MN: +5.9 degrees
Duluth, MN: +5.5 degrees
Ashland, WI: +4.4 degrees
Brainerd, MN: +4.4 degrees
Note: As of July 19, 2026, Duluth’s average temperature hit 72.1 degrees, edging past the previous warmest Julys in 2012 and 2006, both at 71.9 degrees. Whether July 2026 keeps its top spot is still up in the air, with about 10 days left in the month.
A few showers will continue moving quickly southeast across parts of the Northland tonight, but rainfall will be light, totaling less than 0.1 inches.
After tonight, the next few days look to be mostly dry across the Northland.
For late July, today’s setup and conditions for severe weather are surprisingly strong.
Strong upper-level winds between 90 and 120 knots, combined with significant wind shear, ample moisture, and instability, are setting the stage for a potentially high-end severe weather event this evening from parts of Iowa through central and northeast Wisconsin and into areas of upper Michigan.
Two tornado watches, marked in red, and a severe thunderstorm watch, marked in yellow, will remain in effect through the evening.
Today’s system, captured through water vapor imagery, is truly impressive for this time of year.
Goes-19 water vapor loop ending 6:05 PM CT Monday, July 20, 2026.
It was a breezy Monday in the Northland, with winds whipping between 15 and 30 mph, and some areas seeing gusts over 30.
It will remain breezy tonight and again on Tuesday, with gusts between 10 and 20 mph, reaching up to 30 mph during the day. Winds will shift to the northwest during this period.
