Brightest week of the year ahead; August solar eclipse
Welcome to the longest daylight of the year in Minnesota.
Next week's summer solstice occurs at 11:24 pm CDT Tuesday night. In the Twin Cities, we'll receive 15 hours 36 minutes of daylight next week.
'Peak sunset'
Notice on the chart above sunset time peaks at 9:03 om starting June 20th. The elliptical nature of earth's orbit produces the latest sunsets just after the solstice. You can also see civil twilight peak at 9:41 pm June 23rd through the 27th. This means on clear evenings it is basically light outdoors until nearly 10 pm for the next two weeks. If you look astronomical twilight you can still notice faint light in the northern sky (away from city lights) until about 11:30 pm this time of year.
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Honestly for me, this is my favorite time of year in Minnesota. I love being in the BWCAW with a northwest facing campsite savoring the long slow daylight fade this time of year.
Unsettled weekend
Our weather Father's Day weekend looks a little unsettled. Expect spotty, hit or miss T-showers Saturday. No all day washout, but there will be a few bouts of rain around Saturday. Sunday looks cooler with a breezy northwest wind.
NOAA's NAM 3 km resolution model lays out the spotty nature of T-shower coverage this weekend.
Cool Father's Day
Dad's Day looks pretty chill this year. We warm up again next week.
August solar eclipse
We'll be treated to a partial solar eclipse in Minnesota in August. About 83% of the sun will be obscured by the moon when the eclipse peak around 1:06 pm CDT on August 21st.
Here's a look at the eclipse timeline for Minneapolis.
The path of totality runs through Kansas City and Lincoln, Nebraska. You can see the total eclipse by driving about 6 hours from the Twin Cities.
Make your plans now to enjoy this rare celestial event.