Finally, summer!
Finally.
It's like the atmosphere just took a deep breath and decided to relax for a while. Minnesotans took a deep breath and decided summer is finally here.
One sure sign of summer? How crowded is your favorite neighborhood beach?
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Sun & 70s means a good crowd at Deephaven Beach on Lake Minnetonka
A strong "clean" high pressure system is sliding over Minnesota this week.
GOES 1km visible satellite image shows near total sunshine in Minnesota. Yellow "streamlines" show "cyclonic curvature" under high pressure. Dashed lines show dry dew points int he 50s.
You can talk all you want about highs, lows and isobars, but sometimes the best way to explain things is by what we're seeing here on earth. I think the photo below sums up the day's weather to a "T."
"Clean high pressure" from below. Near total sunshine, light winds, quiet water and mild temperatures.
90s ahead!
Our winds will shift into the south Wednesday. That will begin the process of pumping in a warmer and more humid air mass. After a classic summer day in the mid 80s Wednesday, heat and humidity will really begin to build Thursday.
Latest indicators into the weather lab show that temperatures could surge into the 95-98 degree range in the metro Thursday...with 100 not out of the question in parts of southern Minnesota.
The barbaric, Amazon Jungle style heat will not last. It appears a cool front will bring a puff of direr air in Friday and into the weekend...but temperatures will remain near 90 as we head into the 4th of July weekend.
Finally summer!
Tropical Storm Arlene?
It looks like we may have our first named storm of the 2011 season.
The details from NHC:
1. AN AIR FORCE RESERVE UNIT HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT INVESTIGATING
THE BROAD AREA OF LOW PRESSURE OVER THE BAY OF CAMPECHE WAS ABLE TO
LOCATE A LOW-LEVEL CENTER OF CIRCULATION. HOWEVER...THE ASSOCIATED
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE NOT SUFFICIENTLY ORGANIZED TO
DESIGNATE THE SYSTEM AS A TROPICAL DEPRESSION AT THIS TIME.
UPPER-LEVEL WINDS ARE LIKELY TO BECOME MORE CONDUCIVE FOR
DEVELOPMENT...AND THE LOW HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME A TROPICAL
DEPRESSION AT ANY TIME. THERE IS A HIGH CHANCE...90 PERCENT...OF
THIS SYSTEM BECOMING A TROPICAL CYCLONE DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS AS
IT MOVES WEST-NORTHWESTWARD AT 5 TO 10 MPH. INTERESTS ALONG THE
EAST COAST OF MEXICO IN THE STATES OF TAMAULIPAS AND VERACRUZ
SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THIS SYSTEM...AS A TROPICAL
STORM WARNING MAY BE REQUIRED FOR PORTIONS OF THESE AREAS TONIGHT
OR EARLY WEDNESDAY. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS AND GUSTY WINDS SHOULD
CONTINUE OVER PORTIONS OF EASTERN MEXICO OVER THE NEXT DAY OR TWO.
Nearly all models steer the storm west into Mexico.
PH