Overview
- Opening day on Thursday is forecast to be dry and sunny with widespread highs around 80–81°F and light northwest winds of about 5–10 mph.
- Forecasters expect clear, cooler nights after Thursday with temperatures falling into the 40s across much of Minnesota and low to mid‑50s in the Twin Cities metro.
- The fairgrounds may run warmer than official metro highs because of an urban heat island effect, which can keep outdoor areas in the 80s for several hours.
- Models trend hotter for the first weekend, with newest guidance showing mid‑ to upper‑80s and localized highs near 90°F as humidity increases.
- There is a modest chance of scattered thunderstorms moving in late Friday night into Saturday morning with most forecasts showing any rain diminishing by Saturday afternoon.