GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. — Minnesota experienced one of its worst heat waves in July of 1936 when the Twin Cities hit the triple digits eight times. The mercury topped out at 105° and hotter for five days straight while setting Minneapolis’ all-time record high of 108° on July 14, 1936.
Those high temperatures were more than 20 degrees above average for mid-July when the average high temperature is 83-84 degrees. Many towns and cities, including St. Cloud, Rochester and Duluth, also set their all-time record highs during this heat wave.
In fact, nearly every community in the state saw at least one day of triple-digit heat during that month.
This stretch of sweltering heat took place during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl of the 1930s and with the lack of air-conditioning at that time, many people resorted to sleeping outside to escape the stuffy heat of the indoors.
There were more than 700 deaths reported in Minnesota during this heat wave, and some estimates put that number closer to 900. Ironically enough, the prior winter was one of the coldest on record.
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