100-degree temp in Austin shatters all-time May record

Published 5:44 pm Tuesday, May 14, 2013

The forecast called for hot, and Austin got scorched.

The National Weather Service in La Crosse, Wis., recorded an official high of 100 degrees from the Austin wastewater treatment facility on Tuesday.

According to the NWS, which has recorded a high temperature since 1938, Austin’s previous high for May was 94 in 1988. The previous high for May 14 was 91 set in 2001. The normal high for May 14 is 67.

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The blazing temperature was a sharp contrast from not even two weeks ago, when a snowstorm delivered nearly a foot of heavy snow that toppled trees and knocked out power for part of the city. The high on May 3 was 36.

“It’s quite a shift from a couple weeks ago, dealing with record-breakig snow and now we’re talking upper 90s and 100s,” said NWS meteorologist Zack Taylor.

The National Weather Services has issued a red flag warning for much of the states of Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and the Dakotas. The warning indicates dangerous fire conditions.

Weather conditions with cooler temperatures and lighter winds are expected to return to the area on Wednesday.

Albert Lea and St. James also set records for May 14 — the highest temperatures in the state — with highs of 102.

Taylor said the outlook through the end of May, however, is still slightly cooler than normal.

—Matt Peterson contributed to this report.