Mainly Cloudy And Cooler Friday - Sunnier, Warmer Weekend

Air quality around 9:30 AM Thursday. Source: MPCA.

Air quality around 3 PM Thursday. Source: MPCA.

As the cold front moved through with some showers on Thursday, air quality values quickly rose into the Unhealthy range as Canadian wildfire smoke came down through the atmosphere toward the surface. At times Thursday morning, the air quality was Very Unhealthy in parts of western Minnesota.

Poor air quality will remain across the region due to this Canadian wildfire smoke near/at the surface through Thursday Night, with Air Quality Alerts in Minnesota through 6 AM Friday and in Wisconsin through Noon Friday.

Near-surface smoke for 7 AM Friday

The good news is that the near-surface smoke will have cleared Minnesota by 7 AM Friday, but still will linger across portions of Iowa and Wisconsin.

Elevated smoke for 7 AM Friday

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The rain we saw Thursday should mostly be behind us as we head into Friday, but cloudier skies will remain - along with smoke potentially higher in the atmosphere. Behind the cold front that passed through, morning temperatures will start off in the mid-40s with highs around 60F. We'll see breezy northwest winds around 15 mph.

A few rain showers will continue to impact the Arrowhead on Friday, otherwise, the rest of the state will be dry with a sun/cloud mix to mainly cloudy skies. Temperatures will be in the 50s and 60s - around average in far northern Minnesota, but 10-15F degrees below average in southern Minnesota.

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After the cooler, cloudier Friday, we should see better weather move in as we head into the weekend. Highs look to reach the low 70s on Saturday, climbing then to the mid/upper 70s on Sunday. Mainly sunny skies are expected both days.

Looking toward next week, mainly dry and warm weather is expected in the metro, with highs climbing into the 80s for the mid/end of the week into the Memorial Day weekend. Rain chances do look to increase during the second half of the week - and, at least at the moment, models show the potential of unsettled weather continuing into the extended holiday weekend (caveat: this is more than a week out, so we'll all keep hoping this forecast changes!).

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Meanwhile, the heavy rain we saw late last week and into last weekend has caused the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers to once again climb, mainly south of Fort Ripley. Elevated rivers across northern Minnesota are still due to the flooding that occurred earlier this Spring due to rain and snowmelt - but those rivers continue to be on the decline.

The Minnesota River at Jordan rose into moderate flood stage Wednesday morning and is expected to crest at 30.3ft late Friday into early Saturday before water levels start to decrease.

Meanwhile, while the Mississippi River at St. Paul is still in "action" stage, it is expected to rise above minor flood stage on Friday and to moderate stage Saturday Night, cresting around 15.2ft late in the weekend/early next week.

Mosquito Days On The Increase Statewide
By Paul Douglas

I love most wildlife but I can't say that I'm pro-mosquito. They serve a purpose in nature (to annoy us during a fleeting Minnesota summer) but most of us could live without skeeters (and ticks).

Although springs during the last 10 years have been fickle and unusually chilly some years, autumns are trending warmer. We are seeing more 60s and 70s deeper into November on a consistent basis. Although not a straight line, Minnesota's growing season is getting longer. Ask a farmer.

According to Climate Central the number of "mosquito days" (humid days suitable for mosquitoes) has increased by 13 days in the Twin Cities since 1979 - 25 more days in Duluth! Just trying to cheer you up.

Today brings scrappy clouds, gusty northwest winds and temperatures stuck in the 50s. Sunshine returns this weekend as temperatures mellow. The big wildcard is smoke. A flow out Canada may bring more smoke south of the border into Monday.

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Paul's Extended Twin Cities Forecast

FRIDAY: Mostly cloudy, brisk. Wake up 47. High 60. Chance of precipitation 20%. Wind NW 15-25 mph.

SATURDAY: Sunny and very pleasant. Wake up 48. High 72. Chance of precipitation 0%. Wind SW 7-12 mph.

SUNDAY: Sunny and warmer. Wake up 53. High 77. Chance of precipitation 0%. Wind W 5-10 mph.

TUESDAY: Partly sunny, feels like June. Wake up 61. High 82. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind SW 10-20 mph.

WEDNESDAY: Sticky sunshine returns. Wake up 63. High 85. Chance of precipitation 20%. Wind S 10-20 mph.

THURSDAY: Some hazy sun, risk of a T-shower. Wake up 64. High 84. Chance of precipitation 30%. Wind S 15-25 mph.

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Minneapolis Weather Almanac And Sun Data
May 19th

*When do we see 15 Hours of Daylight?: May 20th (15 hours, 1 minute, 45 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
May 19th

1975: Strong winds cause over 2 million dollars of damage across Fridley, Mounds View and New Brighton.

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A frontal boundary Friday morning from the Great Lakes to the Southern Plains will cause shower and storm activity ahead of it as it moves south and east to end the week. An area of low pressure off the Southeast Atlantic coast with an associated cold front will also produce storm chances in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. Record highs will be possible in the Northwest, including Spokane (WA) and Pendleton (OR).

Frosty conditions caused a delay in the start of the PGA Championship on Thursday in Pittsford, NY, but that shouldn't be an issue for the rest of the tournament. Friday will be the warmest of the four days with highs nearing 80F. We will watch shower and thunderstorm chances late Friday through Saturday Night, with the best chances of rain Friday Night and Saturday morning.

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Western states and feds are closing in on a landmark deal to prevent Lake Mead from plummeting further

More from CNN: "Three Western states and the federal government are nearing a deal to leave millions of gallons of water in the Colorado River's Lake Mead – water that would have otherwise been used to irrigate fields or generate hydropower – in exchange for at least $1 billion in federal funding for voluntary water cuts, according to two sources familiar with the plan. The Colorado River system provides water and electricity to more than 40 million people in seven states, as well as irrigation for Western farmers. But that system has shown alarming water loss after a multi-year, climate change-fueled drought collided with decades of overuse. Western states and the federal government have been in tense discussions for months to come up with a plan to prevent the Colorado River and the nation's largest reservoirs, Lakes Mead and Powell, from teetering into disaster."

Most of US faces elevated risk of blackouts in extreme heat this summer, NERC warns

Electric car battery swapping gets a reboot

More from Axios: "Charging an electric vehicle (EV) is a time-consuming burden — which is why the notion of battery swapping, dismissed by Tesla CEO Elon Musk and many others as unworkable, is still percolating. Why it matters: Many drivers won't embrace EVs unless the refueling experience is as seamless as filling up a gas tank. Driving the news: Ample, a California startup dedicated to battery swapping, is introducing a new streamlined station that cuts the process in half, to about five minutes. That's about the time it takes to fill up a gas tank — and far less than the 30 minutes or more it takes to recharge most EVs at public fast-chargers. Details: Ample's pre-fab stations can be deployed across a city in a matter of days. By installing multiple bays at a location, it can accommodate several cars at once. Ample has been experimenting with battery swaps for Uber drivers in San Francisco, and recently expanded to Spain and Japan."

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