Drier skies Thursday, showers return Saturday night

June is the month in Minnesota where we walk between the raindrops.

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Weather Lab hostas soak up the rain. Paul Huttner/MPR News

Then, somewhere in mid-June, the jet stream typically lifts north in southern Canada and we reach a breaking point. The weather pattern transitions into a favorably warm and sunnier air mass. It looks like this year that transition could happen a little early, probably next week.

Yes, summer creeps in on cat's paws in Minnesota. One day it suddenly sunny and 85 degrees. Winter? A distant fading memory. Soon the cold air can't touch us anymore for a few sweet months. Our annual Minnesota midsummer night's dream draws nigh.

Drying out

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Our soggy southern front sags slightly south Thursday. Canadian high pressure noses just far enough to dry skies over most of Minnesota Thursday into most of Saturday.

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NOAA

The forecast in a nutshell? One more batch of showers likely Saturday night into Sunday. Otherwise it looks like clear sailing into meteorological summer by next Monday.

A string of 80s next week? What a concept.

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Weatherspark - Euro output

NOAA's Climate Prediction Center agrees. Here's the probabilities on a wedge of warmer than average air pushing east through the northern tier next week.

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NOAA

Active early Pacific hurricane season

The eastern Pacific is off and running for hurricane season this year. Hurricane Andres started the season with a bang, one of only five major hurricanes during the month of May. Now Blanca threatens Baja.

In theory El Nino should mean a quieter than average Atlantic season. That information and 3-bucks will buy you a latte at Caribou. Remember that devastating Hurricane Andrew hit in a "quiet" hurricane year. It only takes one billion dollar land-falling storm to ruin your hurricane season. Or your decade.

Stay tuned.