Shortest night of year; slight severe risk Wednesday

The shortest night

The longest daylight of the year gives way to the shortest night. The flip side of 15 hours and 36 minutes of daylight? Just 3 hours 17 minutes of true "night" when you factor in long morning and evening twilight.

6 20 night
timeanddate.com

Spotty storms Wednesday

I'm yet buying into the notion of widespread severe weather Wednesday. Storm coverage looks spotty at best. An isolated severe storm cluster may track across the Doppler here and there, but overall coverage looks like 10% to 20% at any given time. A more concentrated storm cluster pops Thursday across southern Minnesota.

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Here's NOAA's NAM 3 km model through Thursday.

6 20 nam 33
NOAA NAM 3 km model via tropical tidbits.

Slight severe risk

Again, overall storm coverage looks spotty Wednesday. The highest risk zone for a severe cell of two is across southern Minnesota.

Tropical Storm Cindy: Heavy rain to Gulf Coast

Tropical Storm Cindy is slowly gaining focus and swirling northward toward the Gulf Coast.

6 20 Cindy IR
NOAA

Cindy's track will bring tropical storm force winds and heavy rainfall ashore over the next 48 hours.

6 20 cindy track
NOAA National Hurricane Center

Cindy's biggest threat is typical of tropical systems. Heavy rainfall up to a foot.

Phoenix record heat

It's a dry heat. So is my oven. Phoenix set a new high temperature record for June 20th. It is at least the 4th hottest day ever recorded in Phoenix. I lived in Arizona for 9 years. When it hits 110 degrees it's not fun anymore. I can't imagine 120 degrees.

A forecast of 120 with blowing dust? Arizona gets so called dry thunderstorms that spawn microburst winds that kick up massive dust storms called haboobs.

They're cool to watch. From a distance.

Minnesota looks better by the hour.