Arctic Sea Ice: 2nd lowest on record
Fall's first salvo in Minnesota means that the Arctic Ocean will soon start freezing up again.
But mid September is also the time when the summer of melting ice in the Arctic reaches its peak. The annual Arctic Sea ice "minimum" usually occurs in mid-September.
A slightly cooler Arctic Summer in 2009 temporarily stemmed the tide of record summer ice melt recent years. But it appears the big melt is back in 2010.
According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center, Arctic Sea ice was at the second lowest level on record in August. This is about 240,000 square miles below the average since 1979. That's an area roughly the size of Texas.
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2010 continues the long term trend of greater melt of Arctic Sea ice over the past decades.
NSIDC also reports that both the Northwest Passage and Northern Sea Route are largely ice free and open for possible circumnavigation of the Arctic Sea.
Texas Flood:
It's one of my son's favorite Stevie Ray Vaughn songs, and it's also a weather reality in progress today.
The remnants of Tropical Storm Hermine are swirling over Texas dumping several inches of rain along its path.
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Swift water rescues are in progress in parts of Texas today.
Coolest morning in 4 months:
The mercury dipped to 47 in the metro this morning. This marks the coolest temperature in nearly 4 months in the Twin Cities. The last time the temperature was this cool was on May 15th, when the temperature dropped to 45 degrees.
Sunny today; rain returns tomorrow:
Our cool start today will give way to a sunny and milder afternoon. Look for temperatures to approach 70 in southern Minnesota today.
The next weather system is on the way for Thursday. A weak push of moisture will bring a few showers Thursday AM & midday. After a break, a stronger front will push a new batch of rain our way Friday.
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Friday's front should sail through Minnesota by early Saturday morning, setting us up for a sunnier and warmer weekend. Look for highs in the 70s this weekend. Averages for the metro by Saturday are 73/53.
Enjoy the sun today!
PH