72 hour of weather bliss, August heat wave?
Root Beer Float Week
Last week was root beer float week at the Weather Lab. This is how we celebrate deep summer.
Each year we pick one week in summer that looks steamy and root beer float worthy. When conditions looks ripe, a root beer float week warning is issued. With 3 days above 90 between July 15th and 22nd the weather cooperated. IBC Root Beer and Breyer's Natural Vanilla works for me. Throw in a little cream soda or black cherry for a change of pace.
It's the little things.
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Classic summer weather returns
We finally come up for air from our July stormy streak.
Thursday, Friday and Saturday offer what could be the best 3-day stretch of summer weather for much of Minnesota. Abundant sunshine, light winds, comfortable dew points and highs in the lower 80s fit many Minnesotans definition of perfect summer weather.
Does it get any better than this?
High skies
Say hello to the big blue "H." Sunny dry high pressure sprawls over Minnesota through Saturday. The next chance for any rain arrives Sunday.
Comfort factor rises
Dew points peaked in the stiflingly tropical mid 70s across Minnesota last night. Our inbound Canadian air mass keeps the Guam-like humidity at bay the next 72 hours. Enjoy dew points mostly in the 50s and lower 60s. Free AC indeed.
Heat returns in August?
There are still signs of a return of 90-degree heat as we turn the corner on mid-summer into August. NOAA's GFS advertises a strong heat dome building over the central U.S. and pushing into the Northern Plains.
We've logged 10 days at or above 90 degrees this year at MSP Airport. The average is 11 days, so we're ahead of pace when compared to average.
The 16-day temperature guidance suggests as many as 3 more 90 degree days ahead. Remember, longer range products are usually better with trends than specifics.
Keep the root beer handy.