80s linger into Friday; steamy weekend
Minnesota enjoyed some of the best weather in the country this Tuesday.
We had plenty of sunshine and humidity levels were nice and low.
High temps were in the 80s in most areas, with some 70s in northeastern Minnesota.
A few spots in far western Minnesota topped 90.
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I mentioned to someone that our Tuesday weather was the kind that I'd have ordered up if someone had been taking requests!
Wednesday temps
Highs Wednesday will be in the 80s in central and southern Minnesota:
Much of northern Minnesota will top out in the 70s.
Twin Cities metro area highs will be in the lower 80s through Friday.
Rain chance
Scattered showers and thunderstorms could spread across Minnesota on Wednesday, possibly arriving in the Twin Cities metro area by late afternoon or early evening.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's North American Mesoscale forecast model shows the potential rain pattern:
The color chart to the right of the loop refers to the strength of the signal that returns to the radar, not to the amount of rain.
Scattered showers and thunderstorms will also be possible in Minnesota this weekend, mainly late Saturday and on Sunday.
With warm air aloft this weekend, the atmosphere may become "capped" over parts of Minnesota.
That could delay thunderstorms in some areas, so check back for updates as we get closer to the weekend.
Steamy weekend
Southerly breezes will spread some very warm air over Minnesota this weekend.
Highs will be in the 90s in central and southern Minnesota, and also in parts of the northwest:
The rest of northern Minnesota will see 80s, except for some 70s near the north shore of Lake Superior.
Dew point temperatures are expected to be in the sticky 60s over most of Minnesota by Saturday afternoon:
I'd call that really summery!
Sunday will also be hot and humid.
How many 90s?
The official Twin Cities temperature has reached 90 degrees three times this year at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
According to our official Twin Cities 30 year averages, we typically have 11 days (rounded value) with a high of 90 or warmer in the Twin Cities:
The month that usually has the most 90 degree or warmer days is July, with an average of 5 days.
In 1988, the Twin Cities metro area had 44 days of 90 degrees or warmer.
I remember that year well, because I was living in a house that didn't have air-conditioning!