Sun Oct 13 10:50:00 UTC 2024: ## Unexpected Heat Wave Hits Fargo and Grand Forks, Frost Expected Next Week

**GRAND FORKS, ND** – The Red River Valley is bracing for an unusual mid-October heatwave, with temperatures expected to soar to near 90 degrees on Thursday.

According to WDAY Chief Meteorologist John Wheeler, Fargo could break its October 10 record of 86 degrees, set in 2003, if temperatures reach 88 degrees. Grand Forks, which also holds a record high of 86 on the same date (set in 2015), is expected to reach 85 degrees.

This burst of warmth follows a relatively cool Wednesday, where temperatures reached 76 degrees in Grand Forks and 78 degrees in Fargo. The warm air mass shifting eastward, coupled with southeast winds, is responsible for the unseasonable heat.

“Near 90 on Thursday. I mean, wow,” Wheeler exclaimed during his Tuesday broadcast. He expects this heatwave to be short-lived, with a cold front moving in and bringing a chance of frost early next week.

“There is a good chance, I would say. I have it in the forecast. It’s not 100% confident, obviously, but there is some confidence to that. It’s a little later than average,” said Wheeler.

The WDAY forecast predicts highs around 66 degrees in Fargo on Friday and 64 degrees on Saturday, followed by chilly lows in the high 20s or low 30s on Monday and Tuesday morning.

Grand Forks is expected to see highs of 63 degrees on Friday and 62 degrees on Saturday, with lows dipping to 31 degrees on Monday and 25 degrees on Tuesday.

While residents enjoy the unexpected warmth this week, they should be prepared for a return to more typical October temperatures and the potential for frost early next week.

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