Blissfully boring now, tracking weekend rain chances
A (weather) guy could get used to this.
Lazy high pressure drifts overhead again today and Thursday. Sunny skies, dew points in the comfy 50s and temps in the upper 70s.
San Diego with lakes.
A weak bubble of high pressure holds fair weather over Minnesota through most of Thursday. An approaching cool front sparks a few scattered showers in western Minnesota Thursday, but they may hold off until Thursday night or Friday for the metro.
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Overall the next few days look a little better (drier) than they did yesterday. Yes, more showers creep into the weekend forecast, but I don't see enough "dynamics" to produce another repeat of the heavy gully washing deluge we saw last weekend.
Here's the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's five-day rainfall forecast through Monday morning.
Timing is everything
The best time for your weekend craw-fish boil? It's a dicey proposition with scattered showers possible both Friday and Saturday evening.
Right now I don't see a weekend washout, but there will be a few scattered showers roaming the Land of 10,000 Puddles. Right now it looks like the driest sunniest weekend hours may favor Sunday afternoon.
Trending drier?
NOAA's Global Forecast System model has been cranking out some scary wet numbers the past few days. Sixteen day rainfall totals have been running around 3 to 4 inches for the past few days.
The latest trends suggest a drier forecast. That would be welcome for many who are dealing with flooded basements and soggy fields.
Here's the latest version of NOAA's 16-day rainfall, which is closer to 2 inches.
Second wettest spring on record in St. Cloud
Our recent trend toward wet springs in Minnesota continues. Here's the latest from the Twin Cities National Weather Service on the second wettest spring on record in St. Cloud and the 14th wettest for the metro this year. Southwest Minnesota would take some of that extra rain.
May and Spring 2014 Climate Summaries
May of 2014 finally saw temperatures warm to near seasonal levels after a cold start to the spring. The month ended above normal at St. Cloud, and exactly normal for Eau Claire, ending a 7 month streak of below normal temperatures in these areas. However, in the Twin Cities the month ended slightly below normal, barely continuing the cold streak which began in November of 2013.
May was wetter than normal over all but far southern Minnesota. This followed on the heels of a very wet April, so soil conditions are very moist across the region. St. Cloud was nearly 4 inches above normal for precipitation during May. In fact, a total of 13.84 inches has fallen this spring (March through May) in St. Cloud, which ranks as the 2nd wettest spring on record. It was the 14th wettest spring in the Twin Cities, and is tied for the 10th wettest spring in Eau Claire since 1950.
