Soggy summer of 2016, drying out today
Into each life some rain must fall. - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
According to Longfellow we must be leading rich and full lives across Minnesota this summer. Another day, another tropical downpour. Weather trends show it's raining harder in Minnesota. That's an easy sell this summer for farmers with fields underwater, homeowners listening to a sump pump symphony, and lake lovers watching their favorite lake rise higher.
Since "meteorological summer" began June 1, some Minnesota locations like Brainerd and Redwood Falls have been doused with more than 20 inches of rainfall.
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As of this morning, the Twin Cities has picked up 17.06 inches since June 1. The final analysis is still coming in, but that should be good enough for a top 10 wettest summer on record in the metro.
St. Cloud tallied 4.08 inches of rainfall Monday. That's good enough for the fifth wettest day on record.
MSP Airport picked up yet another inch-plus rainfall overnight.
A welcome cool front
A weak but drier northwest flow sets in today across Minnesota. Dew points in northern Minnesota are in the October-like 40s. A drier breeze clears skies today from north to south. I've overlaid wind vectors and dew points on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's GOES 1 km visible satellite shot of Minnesota from this morning.
High and dry
Somebody please turn off the spigot. A lobe of Canadian high pressure pushes south over Minnesota the rest of this week.
Four mostly sunny dry days in a row after one of the wettest summers on record? Priceless.
Labor Day weekend still looks a bit unsettled. Right now Saturday looks like the best day for a trip to your favorite lake or bike trail. Storms may arrive late Saturday night, and rumble on and off Sunday and Monday.
Tropics active
Things are still active in the tropical Atlantic. The good news? It looks like the two tropical depressions that will sideswipe the United States will remain tropical storms, and not achieve hurricane status. Meanwhile, Hurricane Gaston spins harmlessly well out into the Atlantic.
North Florida is in line for what looks like it could be Tropical Storm Ian.
The primary threat from a potential Ian remains heavy rainfall. Some 5 to 12 inches-plus totals still look likely across Florida.
Stay tuned.