Another Hot One Thursday With Scattered Afternoon Storms

MSP finally hit 90F for the first time this year on Tuesday, reaching the mark at 3:49 PM. Across the entire Twin Cities record (back to 1873), the average first 90F has occurred on June 9th. Over the past 30 years (1993-2022), it has occurred on May 29th - so, our first was right around the recent average. In 2022, the first 90F occurred on May 12th.

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While we will start Thursday off sunny, we will (once again) watch the potential of pop-up storm activity as we head into the mid-afternoon through evening hours. Morning temperatures start off around 70F with highs around 90F. The record high in the Twin Cities Thursday is 92F, so we will be close to records - especially if we can see those storms wait until after the peak heating of the afternoon.

As we look statewide, we once again watch the potential of pop-up afternoon and evening storms just about anywhere - so make sure you stay alert of the weather if you have outdoor activities during the second half of Thursday. Highs will range from the 70s along the North Shore (thank you, lake influence!) to the low 90s across parts of western and southern Minnesota.

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As we look toward Friday and the weekend, we will continue to watch the potential for afternoon pop-up showers and storms across the region. However, these storm chances should be on the decrease - especially into Sunday. Otherwise, a mix of sun and clouds to mainly sunny skies are expected with highs in the low 90s.

Highs Friday and Saturday will once again be near record highs here in the metro. The highest chance of tying or breaking the record may occur on Saturday.

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For those of you who don't like your highs in the 90s (I'm counting myself in this sector), there could be a slight cool down in the forecast as we head into next week. Notice how I call it "slight" - it'll only be back into the 80s, still several degrees above average. But… small victories for those that don't like the heat?

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Hot, Stuffy And Stagnant Into Next Week
By Paul Douglas

A few popular weather-myths that just won't die. 1). You can't get a sunburn on a cool summer day? False. With a high sun angle you can get fried on a day with 60s and patchy clouds. 2). If a tornado is approaching, hide under the nearest highway overpass. False. Research shows tornado winds accelerate under any bridge, increasing the threat of being hit by debris. A ditch is safer. 3). If you're caught outside during a T-storm, crouch down on all fours to lower risk. False. According to NOAA, you aren't safe anywhere outdoors. Find a building or vehicle. How'd you do?

Frankly, the pattern looks more like mid-August. Very little rain - but hazy, lazy and stinking hot.

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Paul's Extended Twin Cities Forecast

THURSDAY: Sticky sun, late thunder? Wake up 70. High 90. Chance of precipitation 30%. Wind S 10-15 mph.

FRIDAY: Ditto. AM sun, few late PM T-storms. Wake up 72. High 88. Chance of precipitation 30%. Wind S 10-15 mph.

SUNDAY: Hot sunshine, lake-worthy. Wake up 70. High 91. Chance of precipitation 20%. Wind SE 5-10 mph.

MONDAY: Still tropical, few PM storms. Wake up 71. High 90. Chance of precipitation 30%. Wind SE 5-10 mph.

TUESDAY: Hazy-blue sky, humid. Wake up 72. High 91. Chance of precipitation 20%. Wind S 5-10 mph.

WEDNESDAY: Sweaty, few pop-up T-storms late. Wake up 73. High 90. Chance of precipitation 30%. Wind S 5-10 mph.

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*Length Of Day: 15 hours, 22 minutes, and 36 seconds
*Daylight GAINED Since Yesterday: 1 minute and 25 seconds

*Most Sunlight In A Day: June 21st (15 hours, 36 minutes, 51 seconds)
*Earliest Sunrises Of The Year: June 13th-17th (5:25 AM)
*Earliest Sunsets Of The Year: June 21st-July 2nd (9:03 PM)
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This Day in Weather History
June 1st

1993: St. Cloud records its latest ever freezing temperature, with a record low of 32.

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Heavy rain will fall in a few pockets of the nation through the end of the week - one across Montana, another in the Southern Plains, and a third associated with an area of low pressure across Florida. In these three areas, at least 3" of rain could fall.

That area off of the Florida Gulf Coast does have a 20% chance of formation as we head through the next couple of days before environmental conditions become unfavorable for development.

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The East Coast Has Been Smokier Than the West Coast This Year

More from Heatmap: "One thing New Yorkers could always reliably lord over urban Californians was our air. No, our city isn't perfect — we manage our trash by piling it on the curb and have this pesky thing called "winter" — but at least in recent years our metro area beat San Francisco, Sacramento, and smoggy Los Angeles when it came to the particulates we inhale. It brings me no joy to report, then, that this spring, tides have turned. Or at least the winds have. East Coasters have evidently inhaled more smoke than most Californians in 2023 due to a quiet start to the wildfire season out West and an explosive start to the one upwind of us in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and now Nova Scotia."

More from Inside Climate News: "Six months ago, John Delurey, the senior regional director at Vote Solar, would have said that Illinois "sits on the shoulders of some of the most robust and equitable climate legislation in the country and region." But after this year's legislative session, Minnesota is giving Illinois a run for its money as the equitable clean energy state in the Midwest, he said. Legislative sessions recently wrapped up in the two Midwestern states that saw the most clean energy transition efforts in the first quarter of the year. The states, where Democrats control both legislative chambers and have Democratic governors, saw a slew of bills introduced this session promoting clean energy and environmental justice. Still, each had generally different aims and outcomes."

Climate Change Is Escalating California's Wildfires

More from Scientific American: "Climate change is a primary driver of escalating wildfires in California, with extreme temperatures and dry air spawning more intense burning, according to a UCLA study released Tuesday. The study, published in the International Journal of Wildland Fire, drew from state and federal firefighting data and synthesized earlier reports on climate change and wildfire. Researchers examined fires between 1980 and 2020, along with the environmental changes during those four decades. "Climate change is an overarching factor" in more severe blazes, said study author Glen MacDonald, a UCLA professor of geography and environmental sustainability. In particular, he said, research shows a "striking" relationship between the increase in air dryness and annual area burned."

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- D.J. Kayser