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Tuesday's Heat And Humidity
Tuesday was not a day I really enjoyed, as I'm personally not a fan of heat and humidity. Putting that aside... many areas of central and southern Minnesota reached the 90s for highs on Tuesday. The warmest airport locations were in Redwood Falls and Canby, both of which reached a high of 100F.
It was also quite sticky out, with dewpoints reaching the 80s(!) across portions of central/southern Minnesota. The top dewpoint reached at MSP was 76F, falling short of the all-time record of 82F reached on July 19, 2011. That day also set the all-time statewide dewpoint record which was 88F in Moorhead.
When you factor those hot temperatures and high humidity together, it felt more like the 110s during the late afternoon and early evening hours across the region. The peak heat index value recorded (at an airport) was 115F in Hutchinson.
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Strong Storms From Tuesday Night
While a few severe storms occurred across the afternoon hours in northern Minnesota, the main show occurred across eastern and southern Minnesota in the evening and overnight hours after the peak heat and humidity of the day. A batch of storms formed in far eastern Minnesota and moved into western Wisconsin, prompting Severe Thunderstorm Warnings and even Tornado Warnings. Hail up to 1.5" was reported from that storm. Then, through the overnight hours, a line of storms pushed out of South Dakota across southern Minnesota and the metro, bringing tree damage and power outages. More on the damage can be found from the Star Tribune. The top wind report from that line of storms was 81 mph near Hector (a MNDOT sensor) at 11:02 PM Tuesday.
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Sunny, Warm Thursday
A sunny, pleasant early August day is ahead as we slide our way through Thursday. Morning temperatures will start off in the low 60s with highs climbing into the mid-80s under mainly sunny skies. Dewpoints will be in the low to mid-50s, so it'll feel somewhat comfortable out there with the slightly above temperatures (average is 82F).
Mainly sunny skies will dominate the state Thursday, with highs ranging from near 70F along the North Shore to the 80s in southern Minnesota. For the most part, these highs will be around average. However, they will be up to 10F degrees above average near the Red River Valley.
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Hot Friday, Weekend Storm Chances
Friday looks to mark just another 90F+ degree day this year in the Twin Cities with a high in the low 90s under mainly sunny skies. It'll also be a breezy day, with winds out of the south gusting to 25 mph. As we head into Saturday, a cold front will start to move across the state, bringing the threat of showers and storms along with it. Some showers and storms could linger into Sunday morning, but most of the second half of the weekend looks dry at the moment (with a better rain chance throughout the day south of the metro). Temperatures will start to cool with the cold front moving through this weekend, with highs in the mid/upper 80s on Saturday and low 80s on Sunday.
A few storms late Friday into Friday night could be on the strong side out in western Minnesota, with a Marginal Risk of severe weather (threat level 1 of 5) in place. Hail and wind will be the main concerns if we do get any strong storms.
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Are Your Apps Predicting Heavy Rain This Weekend?
By Paul Douglas
We live in an age of pseudo-experts. "Plumbing repair, rewire my home? I have YouTube! After searching Google I'm pretty sure I could land a 737, no problem. I've done my own research and I'm confident viruses aren't real!" It's 2022 and there is still a place for real experts, in any field.
With a proliferation of weather apps everyone is now a meteorologist. What time will it rain? Check the app! Why are my results different than your app? Pro-tip: weather apps interpolate weather, making assumptions that don't exist in the atmosphere. Helpful? Yes. But they aren't powered by meteorologists. Your results may vary.
Tuesday night storms produced gusts up to 70mph, but very little rain and there were warnings. A fleeting atmospheric tantrum. And yes, you can get warnings on many good weather apps.
Hold the presses: weather models are hinting at a stalled front this weekend, with a potential for some 1-2" rains. It's the best chance of a soaking I've seen since June. Let's hope those pesky models are right.
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Paul's Extended Twin Cities Forecast
THURSDAY: Sunny and comfortable. Wake up 62. High 85. Chance of precipitation 0%. Wind E 5-10 mph.
FRIDAY: Sticky sunshine, warming up. Wake up 69. High 91. Chance of precipitation 20%. Wind S 10-20 mph.
SATURDAY: Muggy. Few showers & T-storms. Wake up 73. High 84. Chance of precipitation 70%. Wind NE 7-12 mph.
SUNDAY: Heavy showers and T-storms possible. Wake up 65. High 77. Chance of precipitation 80%. Wind NE 10-15 mph.
MONDAY: Some sun, lingering shower? Wake up 61. High 78. Chance of precipitation 40%. Wind N 7-12 mph.
TUESDAY: Sunny and warmer. Wake up 59. High 84. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind SW 7-12 mph.
WEDNESDAY: Feels like August. Warm sunshine. Wake up 63. High 87. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind SW 7-12 mph.
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Minneapolis Weather Almanac And Sun Data
August 4th
*Length Of Day: 14 hours, 33 minutes, and 24 seconds
*Daylight LOST Since Yesterday: 2 minutes and 29 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 4th
1898: Storms dump 4 and a half inches of rain on Montevideo.
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National Weather Forecast
On Thursday, a slow-moving frontal boundary will bring the threat of storms from the Northeast back into the central United States. Typical summer afternoon storms will be possible in the Southeast, with monsoonal storms in the Southwest.
Some of the heaviest rain through the end of the week will fall near the mid-Mississippi Valley, where over three inches of additional rain could fall.
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California's megadrought is worse than you think
More from E&E News: "Tooleville, a town of about 700 people, depends on wells for water. Those wells have run dry as climate change exacerbates summer heat and shrinks California's winter snowpack. In response, state- and county-funded water deliveries now are arriving a few days a week in Tooleville, as well as in Seville and Yettem — other Tulare County towns without running water. So far this year, the state has had more than 660 wells go dry. The majority of those are in the San Joaquin Valley, said Kelsey Hinton, spokesperson with Community Water Center, which has offices in Visalia, Sacramento and Watsonville."
The future of America's EV charging network takes shape
More from Axios: "The federal government is doling out $5 billion to states to build a nationwide network of highway charging stations intended to get more people to buy electric vehicles. Why it matters: The taxpayer-funded charging network is a cornerstone of President Biden's ambition to electrify America's transportation sector. He wants half of all new cars sold to be electric by 2030 — but many car buyers won't consider an EV without assurances that they'll be able to charge quickly, especially on long road trips. The plan, which calls for installing up to 500,000 direct-current "fast chargers" along the nation's most heavily traveled highways, could boost drivers' confidence, EV advocates and policymakers say. That's up from roughly 20,000 DC fast chargers today, which are sometimes off the beaten path. As with most sweeping federal policies, however, state officials say the devil is in the details."
How climate change is muting nature's symphony
More from Grist: "When Jeff Wells, vice president for boreal conservation at the Audubon Society, first encountered the call of the common loon on a pond near Mt. Vernon, Maine — about an hour and a half north of Portland — he thought he may have heard a ghoul. "I leaped out of bed and ran into my parents' bedroom, like, 'What is that?'" he told Grist, describing a melancholy wail that has made loons famous far beyond the birding community. Even after years of summer vacations in Maine, at the southernmost reaches of the loon's habitat, Wells hasn't tired of their calls. When their moody warbles echo across the pond, he still beckons family members to gather on the patio to listen. But loons, like so many other birds, are threatened by climate change. Rising summertime temperatures and warmer lake waters may eliminate important swathes of their habitat, and elevated precipitation is putting their nests at greater risk of flooding. As a result, loons' songs are in danger of fading from many parts of the world."
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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
