MN90: The Heat Wave of 1936

For two weeks in July, 1936 Minnesotans baked, sweated and wilted. Nine hundred died.

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Producer: Britt AamodtEditorial support: Emily KrumbergerMixing & mastering: Chris Harwood

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Transcript

MN90 Intro: Welcome to MN90: Minnesota History in 90 Seconds.

July 6, 1936, Moorhead, Minnesota, woke to fire, hot, oppressive, suffocating heat. As the sun climbed, so did the temperature to a scorching 113 degrees Fahrenheit. And this was only the second day of the heat wave that locked a good chunk of the nation in a headache of fatigue and restlessness. Across Minnesota, shades were pulled, clothing, as much of it as possible, came off. Air conditioning in the 30s was a rarity, but there was the ice box. Fans roared, but they just pushed around the heat. Floors were cooler, and the musty chill of basements divine. In St. Paul, residents slept outdoors, where the night blanketed them in molten lava. While in the distance, an ambulance shrilled, carrying yet one more case of heat stroke to the hospital. There were two weeks of 90- and 100-degree heat before the spell broke, ending the heat wave of 1936 with 900 Minnesota dead, 5,000 nationwide.

MN90 Outro: MN90 is produced by AMPERS, diverse radio for Minnesota's communities, made possible by funding from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. Online at mn90.org.