
2020 ranks as the 3rd driest year on record so far at Duluth, Minnesota with 5.92″ of precipitation from January 1 to June 22. Source: https://www.weather.gov/dlh/
…Top 7 driest years on record at Duluth, Minnesota from January 1 to June 22…
1) 1900: 3.89″
2) 1910: 5.03″
3) 2020: 5.92″
4) 1980: 6.15″
5) 1987: 6.59″
6) 1904: 6.65″
7) 1925: 6.91″
…1910, 1987 and 1925 remained in the top 7 driest on record at the end of year – See list below…
1910: Driest year on record in Duluth with 18.11″ of precipitation.
1987: 4th driest year on record in Duluth with 19.84″ of precipitation.
1925: 6th driest year on record in Duluth with 20.55″ of precipitation.
Note: Of course each year is different, but looking at past trends, it doesn’t look promising that 2020 will get back to normal or go above normal in precipitation for the rest of the year, but will see! For those wondering, Duluth’s average annual precipitation total is 30.96″, and so far this year we’ve only had 5.92″ of precipitation (thru June 22nd) We need 25.04″ of additional precipitation by December 31st just to get back to normal!
Our pesky upper level low pressure system continues to spin off to the east today. This system brought another day of clouds and isolated rain showers to the Northland today, but temperatures were on the pleasant side!
Source: Goes-16 visible satellite loop 6.23.2020; https://weather.cod.edu/

Scattered showers continue to move south-southeast across north-central and northeast Minnesota as of 4 PM Tuesday, expect these showers to continue into the evening before ending overnight. Note: Most of us will stay dry through this evening as showers that are out there are of the hit or miss variety.
There hasn’t been a whole lot of rainfall with these showers today with McGregor picking up 0.06″ of rain so far today while Aitkin, Grand Rapids and International Falls picking up 0.02″ of rain thru 4 PM Tuesday.
Source: https://weather.cod.edu/

Lingering showers this evening, and a few more showers on the way for Wednesday, but shower coverage on Wednesday should be less compared to what we had on Tuesday.
Another mild day on Wednesday with highs in the 70s in northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin with north to northwest winds at 10 to around 20 mph. Note: 80 degree temps look to return on Thursday!
Simulated radar forecast valid from 7 PM Tuesday to 7 PM Wednesday.
Source: 18z HRRR model 6.23.2020; https://weathermodels.com/

A quarter to half inch of rain with locally higher amounts are possible across the Northland through Friday evening, with the best chances for a more widespread rainfall coming sometime in the Thursday night-Friday morning time frame the way it looks now.
Note: After Friday it looks pretty dry again around here, so if we don’t get much rain through Friday, things don’t look very good for getting rain for the remainder of June.
Source: https://lab.weathermodels.com/

Still looking at a very warm to hot weather pattern next week, but relief from the heat is possible near Lake Superior, especially for the early to middle part of next week the way it looks now.
Source: 12z European ensemble model 6.23.2020; https://weathermodels.com/


A slight risk for excessive heat continues in the outlined area on the map below including all of northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin for July 1st through July 7th.
Source: https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/

Widespread dust reducing visibilities to 1 to 6 miles today inside the yellow outlined area on map.

Dust coming off the Saharan Desert in Africa will find its way into the southern U.S. over the next few days. This plume of dust may eventually work its way north/east impacting portions of the Midwest and Ohio Valley by this weekend.
Source: NASA GEOS-5 Dust Model 6.22.2020; https://weathermodels.com/

Thanks for reading!
Tim