Welcome rainfall spreads northward across dry Minnesota
"You're as welcome as rain." -- Arizona greeting
In the dry climates of the world, people appreciate rain as a blessing. Rainfall in a desert is a welcome event. Minnesota has been on the dry side lately. The Twin Cities is running about .8 inch below average on rainfall so far in May. It's been even drier in northern Minnesota where spotty fires are popping up.
The big blazes continue northward into Canada. The Fort McMurray super-blaze continues to expand eastward. At 500,000 acres, It's now the size of Los Angeles and New York combined.
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The multiple fires in Canada and Minnesota combine to produce our smoky skies last weekend. A veil of elevated smoke hangs over Minnesota again today, even as the inbound weather system begins to wash the sky with advancing showers.
Suddenly a cooler and wetter week in Minnesota sounds like a blessing.
Rain moving north
A slow moving low-pressure system is just what the weather doctor ordered. The low works into the Dakotas through mid-week.
Multiple waves of rain
Expect multiple waves of showers this week across Minnesota and the Upper Midwest. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's NAM 4 km model paints the rain band spinning north and east around the low pressure center. A few embedded thunderstorms rotate around the low. Severe weather is not likely.
The heaviest rainfall totals favor southern Minnesota, with lesser amounts up north. Rainfall totals of one-half inch to 1 inch-plus look likely for the southern half of the state by Thursday.
Northern Minnesota is drier, and could use the rain but will see lower totals.
The system brings some rain into southern Canada, but more rainfall is needed to reduce fire danger long term.
High fire danger continues north
It will take until at least tonight before meaningful rain reaches northern Minnesota where spotty fires have been popping up.
Fire danger remains high today across the Northland.
Friday night's smoke attack was the combination of a passing cold front changing wind direction and sinking air behind the front (subsidence) that concentrated thick smoke near ground level in the Twin Cities and much of Minnesota.
AQI readings peaked at over 200 for the Twin Cities Saturday morning. I can't recall ever seeing readings that high.
This week's rain will likely leave spotty smoke blotches on your car. I welcome the rain-washed air this week across Minnesota.