Taste of summer: Warm sticky air mass arrives this week
We're transfusing air masses across Minnesota this week.
Sunday featured a blissfully comfortable desert dry air mass with dew points in the 30s. An increasingly moist air mass is oozes into Minnesota this week. Dew points in the 50s and 60s push north in the coming days, and tropical dew points near 70 degrees may arrive by Thursday. You'll notice an increasingly sticky air mass as the week goes on.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's North American Mesoscale Forecast System 12 km resolution model pumps the wetter air north into Minnesota this week.
Shower chances Monday
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A few light (non-severe) rain showers bubble up along the leading edge of the moisture gradient Monday across Minnesota. Look for occasional spotty showers. Here's NOAA's High-Resolution Rapid Refresh model.
Two Junes this year
May is running about 6 degrees warmer than average so far. So we're closer to June temperature levels this month. Highs in the 80s return this week. This time we do it with near tropical dew points near 70 degrees by Thursday. Where's the nearest beach?
Edge of drought
Dryness is expanding across Minnesota. A big swath of central Minnesota is running 2- to 4-inch rainfall deficits in the past 30 days.
Rain and thunder chances
The best chances for meaningful soaking rainfall arrives Wednesday through Friday this week. Here's NOAA's Global Forecast System.
Summery Memorial Day weekend?
The upper-air pattern looks warm as we move into early next week. A steamy ridge of high pressure sets up over the central United States.
Highs in the 80s with a shot at 90 are looking more likely as we move into the first days of June.
My weather spidey senses tell me it could be a long and fairly hot summer. My hunch is we'll beat the average of 13 days at or above 90-degrees this summer.
Stay tuned.