Paul Douglas On Weather
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Saturday: Sixth Wettest Day So Far This Year At MSP

It was great to see some sizable rainfall across the metro as we went through Saturday, even if it might have had you change some plans (especially in the morning hours). MSP airport officially picked up 0.57" of rain on Saturday, tying it for the sixth wettest day so far this year. It was also the wettest day since before Memorial Day.

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Heavier Rains In Portions Of the State

The rain was still ongoing across southern Minnesota at the time of this screenshot around 8 AM on Sunday. Still, parts of the state (especially southern Minnesota) have received heavy rain over the past few days with over 2-3" for some locations, sparking flood concerns. Areas of northern Minnesota also saw over an inch of rain in a 48-hour period. The only area that didn't see rainfall was areas of northwestern Minnesota.

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Mainly Sunny And Nice August Monday

While we will start off Monday with a mix of sun and clouds, those clouds should quickly move out leaving us with mainly sunny skies into the midday and afternoon hours. Morning temperatures drop into the upper 50s with afternoon highs in the mid-70s.

Most of the state will see mainly sunny skies on Monday - the exception will be up toward Grand Marais, where an early morning shower is possible before the sunnier skies move in. The warmest areas of the state will actually be in northwestern Minnesota where highs are expected to climb into the low 80s during the day. The rest of the state will be around to slightly below average in the 60s and 70s.

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Warmer Again Midweek

After we get past the fantastic early August Monday across the region, the 80s make a return for the rest of the week. The warmest day of the work week will be Wednesday with highs in the mid-80s. Rain chances this work week are pretty much slim to none - the next rain chance won't work in until Friday night into Saturday. Highs next Saturday are also expected to be in the upper 80s.

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The Fickle Nature of Summer Rainfall
By Paul Douglas

The definition of insanity? Trying to accurately predict exactly how much rain will fall in one location from random swarms of thunderstorms. Your results may vary.

The stalled front that greened up much of Minnesota over the weekend is Exhibit A. According to the Twin Cities National Weather Service .55" of rain fell at MSP on Saturday; the most single-day rain since May 25. Tell that to farmers near Willmar, where 3.5" rain fell. Over 2" soaked much of central and southern Minnesota. That's my (current) definition of a great weekend.

An estimated 80% of the American population will simmer in 90-degree heat this week, and we could touch 90F by late week. Comfortable 70s today give way to 80s most of the week. Models hint at a T-storm (opportunity) Friday, again Sunday.

My diet of stress and caffeine may be triggering hallucinations, but I sense we may be sliding back into a somewhat wetter pattern, which would be nice.

In the meantime I will enjoy a fine Monday while giving thanks for the rain.

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Paul's Extended Twin Cities Forecast

MONDAY: Partly sunny, pleasant. Wake up 58. High 77. Chance of precipitation 0%. Wind N 8-13 mph.

TUESDAY: Sunny and warmer. Wake up 60. High 84. Chance of precipitation 0%. Wind SW 7-12 mph.

WEDNESDAY: Balmy with a few clouds. Wake up 66. High 87. Chance of precipitation 20%. Wind W 5-10 mph.

THURSDAY: Blue sky, looking good. Wake up 64. High 85. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind SE 5-10 mph.

FRIDAY: Unsettled with a few T-storms. Wake up 68. High 86. Chance of precipitation 50%. Wind S 10-20 mph.

SATURDAY: Periods of warm sunshine. Wake up 69. High 89. Chance of precipitation 20%. Wind E 5-10 mph.

SUNDAY: Sticky and ripe for a few T-storms. Wake up 70. High 86. Chance of precipitation 40%. Wind E 8-13 mph.

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Minneapolis Weather Almanac And Sun Data
August 8th

*Length Of Day: 14 hours, 23 minutes, and 8 seconds
*Daylight LOST Since Yesterday: 2 minutes and 36 seconds

*When Do We Drop Below 14 Hours Of Daylight?: August 17 (13 hours, 58 minutes, 36 seconds)
*When Does The Sun Start Rising At/After 7 AM?: September 22nd (7:00 AM)
*When Does The Sun Start Setting At/Before 8:30 PM?: August 8th (8:29 PM)

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This Day in Weather History
August 8th

1930: A record high of 102 is set at Redwood Falls.

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National Weather Forecast

A frontal boundary on Monday from the Central U.S. to the Northeast will bring scattered showers and storms, but we aren't really anticipating severe weather at the moment. Afternoon storms are possible in the Southeast, and monsoonal storms are expected once again in the Southwest.

Heavy rain was expected Sunday across portions of the upper Midwest, where over an additional three inches of rain was possible. Rain chances through the beginning of the week could also bring up to 3" to portions of New England.

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New study calculates retreat of glacier edges in Alaska's Kenai Fjords National Park

More from the University of Washington: "As glaciers worldwide retreat due to climate change, managers of national parks need to know what's on the horizon to prepare for the future. A new study from the University of Washington and the National Park Service measures 38 years of change for glaciers in Kenai Fjords National Park, a stunning jewel about two hours south of Anchorage. The study, published Aug. 5 in The Journal of Glaciology, finds that 13 of the 19 glaciers show substantial retreat, four are relatively stable, and two have advanced. It also finds trends in which glacier types are disappearing fastest. The nearly 670,000-acre park hosts various glaciers: some terminate in the ocean, others in lakes or on land."

These are the Inflation Reduction Act's big climate tech winners

More from Protocol: "There are some sectors that could really see transformational investments. That could make them attractive places for tech startups to focus their efforts. And they're like industries where private climate capital could help unlock even greater carbon savings. The built environment is one of these big winners, with about $9 billion earmarked. That money will fund everything from consumer home energy rebate programs (for home electrification and energy-efficient retrofitting) to tax credits for heat pumps. Startups already operating in that space, such as BlocPower, Sealed and Dandelion Energy could reap rewards, according to Zou and Purdom. Agtech could also see a boost, with $20 billion allocated to incentivize smart agricultural practices and reforestation. While this most directly affects farmers and ranchers who would be participating in voluntary conservation programs that can stash carbon in the soil, it'll also have a trickle-down effect on startups that support regenerative agriculture practices."

As climate change threatens more homes, some properties are getting too costly to insure

More from CNBC: "As climate change threatens the U.S. with more natural disasters, it's becoming increasingly costly for Americans to insure their homes ⁠— and it's only expected to get worse, according to experts. "These things are occurring more often, and they're causing more damage," said Jeremy Porter, chief research officer at First Street Foundation, a non-profit focused on defining U.S. climate risk. Indeed, there were 20 separate billion-dollar U.S. natural disasters in 2021 — including a deep freeze, wildfires, flooding, tornado outbreaks and other severe weather — costing a total of $145 billion, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration."

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Thanks for checking in and have a great day! Don't forget to follow me on Twitter (@dkayserwx) and like me on Facebook (Meteorologist D.J. Kayser).

- D.J. Kayser