National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

May 9-13, 2022 Record Heat

A strong high pressure system brought record highs and warm lows to the Upper Mississippi River Valley. Besides numerous daily records, there was even a monthly warm low record tied at La Crosse, WI.  On May 12, the La Crosse Regional Airport had a low temperature of 75°F. This tied May 29, 2006, for the warmest May low temperature. Other noteworthy things at:

La Crosse, WI

  • With a high temperature of 96°F on May 12, this tied May 27, 1874, May 19, 1934, & May 29, 2018, for the 5th warmest high during the month of May.
  • With a daily average temperature of 85.5°F on May 12, this became the 2nd warmest daily average temperature in May.  Only May 31, 1934, was warmer with an average temperature of 88°F.
  • There were 3 consecutive days with record temperatures (May 11-13).  This tied for the 4th longest stretch of May days with record temperatures. The longest stretch for May was 5 days from May 17-21, 1934.
  • From May 11-13, La Crosse Regional Airport had an average temperature of 80°F. This is the 5th warmest 3-day stretch in May. Out of the ten warmest, it was the earliest of any of the others. 7 out of the 10 occurred after May 20th.

Rochester, MN

  • With a high temperature of 94°F on May 12, this tied May 6, 1934, May 29, 1934, May 19, 2009, & May 24, 2010, for the 10th warmest high temperature during the month of May.
  • With a daily average temperature of 73.5°F on May 12, this tied May 19, 1911, & May 14, 2007, for the 9th warmest daily average temperature in May.  The warmest May daily average temperature was 83.5°F on May 31, 1934, & May 29, 2006.

Daily Record Highs & Warm Lows can be found by selecting the tabs below.

May 9 Records

Record Highs 

                          New                     Records 
  Location       State   Record    Old Record      Began
  --------       -----   ------    ----------      -----
Necedah 5 WNW      WI     85°F    84°F in 2007      2004
Oelwein 1E         IA     89°F    79°F in 2007      2005
Steuben 4SE        WI     86°F    85°F in 2018      2002

May 10 Records

Record Highs 

                          New                     Records 
  Location       State   Record    Old Record      Began
  --------       -----   ------    ----------      -----
Charles City       IA     90°F    87°F in 1900     1893
Decorah            IA     92°F    90°F in 2011     1893
Friendship         WI     86°F    86°F in 2007     1930
Mauston 1 SE       WI     86°F    85°F in 2007     1905

Warmest Lows

                          New                     Records 
  Location       State   Record    Old Record      Began
  --------       -----   ------    ----------      -----
Black River Falls  WI     58°F    52°F in 2011     1998
La Crosse NWS      WI     62°F    56°F in 2005     1997  
Necedah 5 WNW      WI     61°F    53°F in 2011     2004
Oelwein 1 E        IA     59°F    54°F in 2007     2005
Steuben 4 SE       WI     59°F    58°F in 2005     2002
Winona Dam 5A      MN     59°F    59°F in 1993     1939

May 11 Records

Record Highs 

                          New                     Records 
  Location       State   Record    Old Record      Began
  --------       -----   ------    ----------      -----
Alma Dam 4         WI     90°F    84°F in 1977     1939
Austin WWTF        MN     90°F    90°F in 1940     1938
Boscobel Airport   WI     97°F    93°F in 2011     1999
Caledonia          MN     91°F    83°F in 2011     1893
Charles City       IA     93°F    88°F in 1900     1893
Decorah            IA     94°F    88°F in 1900     1893
Elkader 6SSW       IA     92°F    90°F in 1900     1893
Fayette            IA     91°F    87°F in 1900     1893
Genoa Dam 8        WI     91°F    87°F in 1940     1939
Grand Meadow       MN     89°F    89°F in 1900     1891
Guttenberg L & D   IA     89°F    86°F in 2011     1937
La Crosse Airport  WI     90°F    89°F in 1922     1872
La Crosse NWS      WI     88°F    82°F in 1999     1997
Lancaster          WI     91°F    87°F in 2011     1893
Mauston 1 SE       WI     86°F    85°F in 1991     1905
New Hampton        IA     92°F    88°F in 1940     1897
Oelwein 1E         IA     94°F    85°F in 2011     2005
Osage              IA     92°F    87°F in 1940     1894
Prairie du Chien   WI     94°F    90°F in 1896     1893
Preston            MN     89°F    89°F in 1985     1952 
Rochester Airport  MN     89°F    89°F in 1911     1886
Steuben 4SE        WI     93°F    86°F in 2011     2002
Viroqua            WI     87°F    85°F in 2011     1893
Winona Dam 5A      MN     86°F    86°F in 1940     1939

Warmest Lows

                          New                     Records 
  Location       State   Record    Old Record      Began
  --------       -----   ------    ----------      -----
Austin WWTF        MN     63°F    63°F in 1940     1938
Black River Falls  WI     63°F    56°F in 2011     1998
Boscobel Airport   WI     66°F    62°F in 2011     1999
Caledonia          MN     64°F    63°F in 2011     1893
Charles City       IA     63°F    63°F in 1992     1893
Friendship         WI     67°F    62°F in 1930     1930
La Crosse NWS      WI     66°F    60°F in 2011     1997
Mauston 1 SE       WI     63°F    62°F in 1982     1905
Neillsville 3 ESE  WI     61°F    61°F in 1922     1893
Owen 1E            WI     60°F    60°F in 1985     1946
Steuben 4SE        WI     66°F    63°F in 2011     2002

May 12 Records

Record Highs 
                          New                     Records 
  Location       State   Record    Old Record      Began
  --------       -----   ------    ----------      -----
Alma Dam 4         WI     92°F    86°F in 1977     1939
Austin WWTF        MN     93°F    88°F in 1940     1938
Boscobel Airport   WI     97°F    87°F in 2011     1999
Caledonia          MN     92°F    85°F in 1977     1893
Decorah            IA     94°F    91°F in 1940     1893
Fayette            IA     93°F    88°F in 1900     1893
Friendship         WI     94°F    89°F in 1940     1930
Genoa Dam 8        WI     92°F    86°F in 1991     1939
Guttenberg L & D   IA     94°F    89°F in 1991     1937
La Crescent Dam    MN     90°F    85°F in 1940     1939
La Crosse Airport  WI     96°F    90°F in 1940     1872
La Crosse NWS      WI     92°F    81°F in 2011     1997
Lancaster          WI     91°F    87°F in 1932     1893
Lynxville Dam 9    WI     94°F    88°F in 1977     1939
Mather 3NW         WI     94°F    88°F in 1940     1903
Medford            WI     91°F    90°F in 1900     1893
Minnesota City     MN     93°F    84°F in 1940     1896
New Hampton        IA     94°F    89°F in 1940     1897
Oelwein 1E         IA     96°F    83°F in 2011     2005
Osage              IA     94°F    91°F in 1940     1894
Prairie du Chien   WI     95°F    90°F in 1900     1893
Preston            MN     92°F    87°F in 1977     1952 
Rochester Airport  MN     94°F    89°F in 1940     1886
Sparta             WI     93°F    89°F in 1991     1893
Theilman 1SSW      MN     96°F    88°F in 1977     1962
Viroqua            WI     89°F    86°F in 1940     1893
Winona Dam 5A      MN     94°F    85°F in 1940     1939

Warmest Lows

                          New                     Records 
  Location       State   Record    Old Record      Began
  --------       -----   ------    ----------      -----
Austin WWTF        MN     67°F    61°F in 2011     1938
Boscobel Airport   WI     69°F    62°F in 2004     1999
Caledonia          MN     68°F    62°F in 1906     1893
Charles City       IA     68°F    64°F in 2004     1893
Decorah            IA     71°F    66°F in 1906     1893
Friendship         WI     65°F    59°F in 2014     1930
La Crescent Dam    MN     69°F    62°F in 2011     1939
La Crosse Airport  WI     75°F    68°F in 1879     1872
La Crosse NWS      WI     74°F    56°F in 2011     1997
Lancaster          WI     72°F    61°F in 2014     1893
Medford            WI     60°F    60°F in 1992     1893
Neillsville 3 ESE  WI     65°F    62°F in 1900     1893
New Hampton        IA     65°F    61°F in 1986     1897
Oelwein 1E         IA     68°F    60°F in 2011     2005
Prairie du Chien   WI     66°F    62°F in 2011     1893
Rochester Airport  MN     65°F    61°F in 1944     1886
Steuben 4 SE       WI     70°F    62°F in 2011     2002
Viroqua            WI     67°F    64°F in 2004     1893

May 13 Records

Record Highs 
                          New                     Records 
  Location       State   Record    Old Record      Began
  --------       -----   ------    ----------      -----
Boscobel Airport   WI     92°F    85°F in 2017     1999
La Crosse Airport  WI     90°F    88°F in 1900     1872
                                        & 1977 
Mather 3NW         WI     90°F    90°F in 1977     1903
Mauston 1 SE       WI     91°F    86°F in 1962     1905
Oelwein 1E         IA     86°F    84°F in 2017     2005
Steuben 4 SE       WI     87°F    80°F in 2017     2002
Winona Dam 5A      MN     84°F    81°F in 2017     1939