Spectacular Wednesday; summer solstice arrives Friday morning

Wednesday may go down as one of the best days of meteorological summer 2019.

Most of Minnesota enjoys abundant sunshine. Comfortable dew points in the 50s and high temperatures in the 70s are ideal for human comfort.

Welcome to San Diego, with lakes.

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Forecast highs today via NOAA.

Summer solstice arrives Friday

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The summer solstice arrives at 10:54 a.m. CDT. The sun reaches its farthest north progression of the year.

Peak daylight

Daylight peaks at 15 hours, 36 minutes and 49 seconds in the Twin Cities Friday.  That a full six hours, 51 minutes longer than on the winter solstice six months from now.

Get out there.

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Graphic courtesy timeadndate.com

Timeanddate.com has an interesting write-up on 11 things you may not know about the summer solstice. Here are a few:

1. Summer & Winter Solstice

In the Northern Hemisphere, where it is the longest day of the year in terms of daylight, the June solstice is also called the summer solstice. In the Southern Hemisphere, on the other hand, it is the shortest day of the year and is known as the winter solstice.

2. First Solstice of the Year

Solstices happen twice a year - in June and December. The June solstice happens around June 21, when the Sun is directly overhead the Tropic of Cancer. The December solstice takes place around December 21. On this day, the Sun is precisely over the Tropic of Capricorn.

3. When the Sun Seems to Stand Still

Solstice comes from the Latin words sol, meaning Sun and sistere, meaning to come to a stop or stand still. On the day of the June solstice, the Sun reaches its northernmost position, as seen from the Earth. At that moment, its zenith does not move north or south as during most other days of the year, but it stands still at the Tropic of Cancer. It then reverses its direction and starts moving south again.

The opposite happens during the December solstice. Then, the Sun reaches its southernmost position in the sky - Tropic of Capricorn - stands still, and then reverses its direction towards the north.

80 returns

Our weather pattern turns gradually warmer in the next week. Highs in the 80s will be more common next week.

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NOAA via Weather Bell.

Flooding finally recedes

This season's flooding reached record duration on many Minnesota rivers. The last river flood warning finally expired in the Twin Cities National Weather Service forecast area. It's been a long three-plus months.

Scattered rains

Scattered showers and thunderstorms roam across Minnesota starting Thursday. Storms coverage will be typically spotty. Here's the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Global Forecast System model.

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NOAA GFS model Thursday through Sunday via tropical tidbits.

July heat in sight

I wouldn't write off a solid run of summer heat just yet. The upper-air progs are looking hotter as July approaches.

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NOAA upper air map for 7 pm CDT July 3.

Enjoy the blissfully comfortable weather Wednesday.