Happy summer solstice 2020

Astronomical summer arrives Saturday at 4:44 p.m.

Burntside solstice sunset
Summer solstice sunset at Burntside Lake near Ely in 2015. Image: Paul Huttner.
Huttner, Paul

We’re on the cusp of the 2020 summer solstice.

Astronomical summer arrives Saturday at 4:44 p.m. CDT in Minnesota.

613 seasons_solstice_equinox_NASA
Solstices and equinoxes
NOAA

At Stonehenge, they are broadcasting the summer solstice sunrise live.

Longest daylight of the year

Saturday brings the longest daylight of the year to Minnesota. Minneapolis enjoys a total of 15 hours, 36 minutes, and 50 seconds of daylight Saturday.

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weather graphic
Hours of daylight on summer solstice
Dr. Brian Brettschneider

Dodging weekend thunderstorms

This weekend brings a pretty typical mix of sun and clouds for a summer weekend. Scattered thunderstorms will rumble across Minnesota at times.

NOAA’s NAM 3 km model is typical of those that bring a cluster of thunderstorms across southern Minnesota into the Twin Cities Saturday afternoon. That same storm cluster tracks into northeast Minnesota Saturday night into early Sunday.

NOAA NAM 3 km model this weekend
NOAA NAM 3 km model this weekend
NOAA via tropical tidbits

Average high hits 80 degrees

The average high temperature in the Twin Cities hit 80 degrees this week. It stays at 80 or warmer from now through Aug. 23.

Highs across Minnesota run close to average this weekend.

Forecast high temperatures Sunday afternoon
Forecast high temperatures Sunday afternoon
NOAA

Happy summer solstice 2020!