Nearly 5 inches of rain soaked the Twin Cities in the first half of July, making it the seventh-wettest start to July on record. We're up to 23.31 inches of precipitation since Jan. 1, meaning the fourth-wettest start to the year since records were started in 1871. By the way, seven of the 10 wettest starts to any calendar year at MSP have occurred since 1990.
We keep the soggy streak going today; the best chance of a swarm of heavy T-storms comes this evening and tonight, with 1 to 2 inches of rain possible in some areas. To state the obvious: The ground is saturated and waterlogged. Any additional rain will almost immediately run off into streets and streams. Some flash flooding can't be ruled out tonight.
Minnesota is on the northern edge of an expansive heat wave gripping the U.S. Ninety-degree heat is likely Thursday and Friday before a wind shift pushes slightly cooler air into town next weekend. A comfortable start to next week gives way to another hot surge later in the week. Not broiling — just hot enough to get your attention.
