Wintry mix spreads across Minnesota

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The hottest month of the year in Minnesota is running a fever. It’s been a steamy and stormy first week of July.

The temperature in the Twin Cities and much of southern Minnesota hit 90 degrees four of the first eight days this month. July temperatures are running more than 7 degrees warmer than average so far in the Twin Cities. 

A cool front finally sweeps our steamy and stormy air mass southward Friday. It’s not the strongest front on the weather maps, but a noticeably drier and cooler air mass oozes south from Canada on Friday’s gentle northwest breeze.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s NAM 3 km resolution model captures the air mass change. Watch as dew points fall from the 70s Thursday midday into the upper 50s by Friday morning. That translates into less than half the water vapor in the air in about 24 hours.

Right now, I don’t see any more 90s in the near-term forecast. Highs Saturday reach the 80s in southern Minnesota, with comfortable 70s up north.

Wednesday night’s storms dumped some torrential rainfall in addition to producing tornadoes. 

Several locations in the central Minnesota lakes areas picked up multi-inch rainfall totals.

The heavy rains fell in an area that needed rain. The latest drought monitor shows much of central and northeast Minnesota in drought.

Weather and Climate News

Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Paul Huttner

Author

A noticeably cooler and drier air mass blows into Minnesota Friday.

NOAA NAM 3 km model dew point forecast from Thursday to Friday morning

Cool front: Noticeably cooler and less humid Friday

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