Forecast: Pattern change ahead

Call it a forecast for the wetter and for the better.

The jet stream is moving closer to Minnesota this week. A series of upper air disturbances will ride along the jet stream this week bringing chances for much needed rainfall to the region.

The first wave moves through tonight into Tuesday. A band of showers and thunderstorms will move from the eastern Dakotas today into western Minnesota by noon and spread into the metro sometime after midnight or toward dawn Tuesday. It appears this morning that the best chance for rain in the Twin Cities may come Tuesday morning.

Right now the Tuesday storms do not look severe, but there may be a stray severe storm or two in Minnesota later this week.

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The third week in June marks the start of some important climatological and astronomical changes.

-Our average high in the metro hits 80 degrees this week. The average high will stay at or above 80 through August 20th.

-The next two weeks feature the longest daylight of the year. In the Twin Cities, daylight is at about 15 hours and 36 minutes through next week.

-The noon sun angle reaches the highest point in the sky this week. At solar noon on Sunday the sun will be 68.5 degrees above the horizon in the metro.

-The summer solstice occurs on Sunday June 21st at 12:46am.

People often ask me when it's safe to plan that outdoor wedding or expect real warmth in Minnesota. You can't rush things around here in early June, which is notorious for cool rainy snaps like the first weekend in June this year. While you can't forecast day to day rain chances that far in advance, I usually tell them we can reliably expect warm summer like weather starting the third week in June. It looks like the weather is holding true to form again this year.

Enjoy!

PH