Earth Day sunshine; clouds north on Sunday

Minnesotans will have plenty of sunshine for our Earth Day activities this Saturday.

The very first Earth Day was April 22, 1970.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has posted information about the origin of Earth Day:

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On June 22, 1969, the Cuyahoga River on the southern shores of Lake Erie caught on fire as chemicals, oil, and other industrial materials that had oozed into the river somehow ignited. Just a few months before, on January 28, 1969, an oil rig leaked millions of gallons of oil off the coast of Santa Barbara. That same year, reports surfaced that our national symbol, the bald eagle, was rapidly declining as a species due to the chemical DDT, while around the world, whales were being hunted nearly to extinction. These and other incidents caught the attention of the national media and galvanized public awareness of the many environmental insults being hurled at the nation and the planet.

In response to the public outcry, Earth Day Founder Gaylord Nelson, who served as the Governor of Wisconsin (1958-1962) and in the U.S. Senate (1963-1981), organized a nationwide "teach-in" about environmental issues to take place on April 22, 1970. More than 2,000 colleges and universities, 10,000 public schools, and 20 million citizens participated—nearly 10 percent of the U.S. population at that time.

The Earth Day Network is a good source of information about worldwide Earth Day activities.

One Earth Day related activity in the Twin Cities this Saturday will be the March for Science.

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marchforsciencemn.com

In the words of March for Science organizers:

On April 22, 2017, a coalition of Minnesotans from all professions and all walks of life, various non-profits, labor unions, and religious groups are marching on the state capitol to show support of higher education and the discovery, access, and understanding of scientific information. We are working to protect and defend science funding, regulatory agencies, and evidence based policy-making in recognition that science plays a vital role in the progress and sustainability of society.

Organizers have posted details on the location and times of Saturday’s activities in St. Paul.

Updates can also be found @ScienceMarchMN.

Some great images of our planet Earth have been posted by the Space Science and Engineering Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison:

Mild temps

Most of Minnesota will enjoy Saturday afternoon high temps in the 60s, with some 50s possible in the far north.

A cold front sags through northern Minnesota by Sunday, and many spots in the north will see highs in the 40s Sunday afternoon:

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Most of the southern half of Minnesota will top out in the 60s on Sunday, with a few locations touching 70.

Monday will be cool again in the north, with 60s in the south:

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Rain and snow

Scattered showers are possible near the Canada-Minnesota border Saturday afternoon and Saturday night.

There's a good chance that northern Minnesota will see some occasional rain and snow showers on Sunday.

Monday looks rainy in northern Minnesota, with a few flakes also possible. Southern and central Minnesota could see occasional showers Monday afternoon and Monday night.

Another batch of rain moves into Minnesota Tuesday afternoon, and it could mix with or change to snow over parts of central and northern Minnesota Tuesday night into early Wednesday.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Global Forecast System model shows the potential precipitation pattern:

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NOAA GFS model precipitation rate from next Monday through Wednesday morning, via tropicaltidbits

The color chart to the right of the loop refers to the potential precipitation rate, not the total amount of rain or snow.

Programming note

You can hear my live weather updates on Minnesota Public Radio at 7:49 a.m. Thursdays and Fridays, and at 7:35 and 9:35 a.m., plus 4:35 p.m., each Saturday and Sunday.`