Steamy and Summery Week Ahead

Weather fatigue

By Paul Douglas

Pardon the whining, but between huge robin-size mosquitoes up north and dodging episodes of hail and high water every other day - I'm growing weary. Weather-weary.

June is always a manic month. A high sun angle heats air near the ground, clashing with a wintry hangover aloft. Throw in wind shear and a warm frontal boundary and you have a recipe for spinning, tornadic "supercell" storms.

On June 17, 2010 48 tornadoes touched down on Minnesota in a single day. SPC does a good job setting the stage. Whenever you see a "moderate" threat of severe storms nearby it means a greater risk of large, long-lasting tornadoes. Check the blog. In spite of a warmer atmosphere there's no evidence of large tornadoes on the increase, but as suburbs expand into farmland we're setting ourselves up for trouble.

It's shaping up to be a long (stinking hot) summer for Minnesota. Sunday night's wild storms (MCS system?) gives way to 90-degree sun today & Tuesday; the approach of cooler air setting off more storms Wednesday.

We catch our breath with a midweek cool front before another heat spike, conveniently timed for next weekend. Low to mid 90s? The ECMWF thinks so.

The Dog Days of June!

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Todd's Conservation Minnesota Outlook for the Twin Cities and all of Minnesota:

MONDAY: Stormy and soggy start. Improving weather later, but still hot and sticky. Dew point: 68. High: 88 Winds: Turning WSW 10-20 through late afternoon.

MONDAY NIGHT: Thunderstorms rumble in through the wee hours of the morning Tuesday. Low: 68

TUESDAY: Hot, stuffy & stormy. Severe risk. Dew point: Near 70. High: 91

WEDNESDAY: Somewhat soggy start with lingering showers and T-storms south. Overall slightly cooler and less humid Low: 71. High: 81

THURSDAY: Dry, more comfortable start with some sun. Clouds increase late with a few storms possible overnight. Dew point: 58. Low: 62. High:80

FRIDAY: Spotty shower or thunderstorm risk, turning warmer and a little more humid. Low: 61. High:84

SATURDAY: Unsettled with thunderstorms possible. Dew point: 60. Low: 64. High:81

 

SUNDAY: Soggy start and summery! Low: 67. High: Nearing 90?

 

Sunday's Severe Storms

 

Strong to severe thunderstorms developed across eastern South Dakota and western Minnesota Sunday evening. A tornado was reported by spotters near Wheaton, MN. The picture below is courtesy Meteorologist Jerrid Sebesta from KARE 11, who got the picture from a viewer. That storm looks pretty wrapped up! Almost looks like a tornado could drop at any time!

 

 

Weekend Northern Lights

Thanks to Bob King for the picture below who captured Saturday night's/early Sunday morning's northern lights.

See more of Bob's pictures and his blog astrobob.areavoices.com HERE:

 

Grandma's Marathon Weekend 

 

It was Grandma's Marathon weekend in Duluth, MN... probably one of my favorite annual events! Now with 2 little boys at home, I find it harder and harder to get up there to run in the event... hopefully someday again very soon! 

 

Thanks to Paul M. Walsh for the very inspiring picture below (See more of his pictures HERE)

 

"Olympic star Kara Goucher, waves the flag, an shows off her baby Colt Goucher, 20 months to the crowd of spectator, after she crosses the finish line at Grandma's Marathon, in Duluth, Minn., on Satuday June 16, 2012. Goucher a Duluth, Minn. native, finished the 13.1 mile course with a time of 1 hour, 9 minutes, 46 seconds, the fastest any woman had ever run the Grandma's half-marathon course. (AP PHOTO/The Country Today/Paul M. Walsh) AP"

 

 

 Somewhat Soggy Saturday

 

Thanks to my good friend, Roxanne Perala Wilmes from Duluth, for the picture below! It was a dry and sunny start to the day, but scattered showers and storms developed in the early afternoon hours and blew through during the early evening. It looks like the streets of downtown Duluth are a little soggy in this picture, likely as some of the last few full marathon runners were heading into the last mile of the race.

 

 

 

Waters Receding in Cannon Falls

 

After Thursday's 8"+ of rain and flash flooding in Cannon Falls, receding wasters have revealed some interesting things. 

Thanks to my good friend Brad Nelson for the picture below of a tree that was consumed by the high water. Here is Brad's commentary: 

"Debris hung up underneath a walking bridge after the water had receded from the flooding in Cannon Falls on Thursday. Whole trees ripped out and caught in there!"

 

 Arizona Dust Storm

Published on Jun 16, 2012 by whittakerbrock

This is a timelapse of the Phoenix Sandstorm from Maricopa, AZ that hit at 5.30 PM.

See the full video HERE: 

Camera Apps

One of my new favorite camera apps for a smart phone is called 360 Panorama... It's a nice way to take a 360 degree picture of something!

Thanks to Joey Deese for the picture below.

"Spider Lilies from Landsford Canal State Park in South Carolina"

See the full 360 image HERE:

5 Day Rainfall Forecast

Rounds of thunderstorms will move through the Upper Mississippi Valley with the potential of heavy rain. The HPC 5 day rainfall forecast suggests over 3" of rain possible (with isolated higher totals possible). The graphic below was the 5 day forecast from 7pm Sunday-7pm Thursday.

  Monday Severe Risk

After a stormy start across parts of Minnesota on Monday, the severe thunderstorm risk will shift east into Wisconsin through the afternoon/evening hours.

U.S. Heat Wave Expected Later This Week

...Heat Wave Forecast for Later This Week...

"Below average high temperatures over the Mid-Atlantic region will be a thing of the past by mid-week. Temperatures are expected to climb into the 90s by Wednesday. Combined with high humidity, the air temperature could feel as hot as 110 degrees in some areas in Virginia on Wednesday. The Washington D.C. area could feel like a sweltering 105 degrees. The hottest temps will shift into the southeast in the long term."

This comes from the Hydrometeorological Prediction Center, see the 10-day forecast HERE:

 

Thanks for checking in, have a great week ahead and enjoy the last few days of Spring 2012! Summer arrives at 6:09pm on Wednesday.

Don't forget to follow me on Twitter @TNelsonWNTV