Cool July bias for now, tracking potential 90s later
"Thanks for the great weather Paul!" -- MPR News staffers this week
Yes, I'm hearing more compliments than complaints this week about our May-like July. Was that 90 degrees we hit on Sunday a dream? Now where's the fleece blanket?
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-2.9 degrees temps vs. average in July so far at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport
A few passing clouds today give way to more sun this afternoon and tomorrow. The next low pressure system is never far away this year with the jet stream lingering over Minnesota.
Here's a look at the next wave coming in with showers and thunderstorms as we hit Friday and the weekend.
Wet/dry weekend?
This weekend's rainfall picture looks unclear at this point. Scattered showers increase Thursday night and Friday. One sure bet, you'll notice the humidity is back as we head into the weekend as dew points climb into the sticky 60s to near 70 degrees.
Summer polar vortex next week?
We're living a weird weather puzzle in Minnesota this year. Most of the globe is having a warm year so far. Minnesota is one of the few places running a persistent chill. Next week looks downright chilly, as temps 15 degrees colder than average spin into Minnesota from the north on another polar-driven vortex.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Global Forecast System model shows the temperature anomalies for next Tuesday, and the localized blue dot special on the map right over the place we lovingly call Minnesota.
The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts model and the GFS agree, high temps may top out only near 70 degrees early next week. That's about average -- for Sept. 21!
Drier pattern emegring
One encouraging trend in the longer range maps? A significant drying trend. The GFS has been trending drier now for several model runs. The latest 16-day rainfall output is a mere .77 inch. That's nearly headline-worthy after our wet spring and early summer if it verifies.
There are also some signs the jet may evolve into a warmer high pressure bubble, and that could deliver temps in the upper 80s to 90 degrees after July 20.
Stay tuned.