*Looks like July 2020 will go into the record books as a top 10 warmest July on record at Duluth, Minnesota (most likely somewhere in the 6th-8th warmest July on record)
*20 days at or above 80 degrees in Duluth this month. Should end up with 21 days at or above 80 degrees for July 2020 which will rank this month in 4th place for most number of 80 degree days for the month of July. The record is 25 days at or above 80 degrees which was set in 2012.
*Another beautiful summer day on the way across the Northland for Friday with sunshine and some clouds, light winds and highs in the upper 70s to middle 80s! A few showers or thunderstorms are possible by Friday evening in western areas, generally west of a line from International Falls to Longville.
18z HRRR model simulated radar forecast valid from 12 PM Friday to Midnight Friday night shows the potential for a few showers and storms spreading ESE out of northwest Minnesota Friday afternoon into Friday evening. Note: Best chance for some rain in Duluth will be on Saturday as scattered showers will be possible throughout the day.
Source: https://weathermodels.com/
This week’s updated drought monitor shows some improvements in both Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Severe drought is gone, but parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin remain in Moderate Drought (D1) or Abnormally Dry conditions indicated by the orange and yellow colors respectively on the maps below.
8% of Minnesota is in Moderate Drought, down from 17% last week.
28% of Minnesota is Abnormally Dry, down from 32% last week.
Source: https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/
0.21% of Wisconsin is in Moderate Drought, down from 0.60% last week.
1% of Wisconsin is Abnormally Dry, down from 3% last week.
A major heat wave continues across the western U.S. today as strong upper level ridging extends north into southwest Canada.
Check out these temperatures from Thursday afternoon across the southwest U.S.; widespread 110 to around 120 degree temperatures today! Note: Phoenix, Arizona had a low of 91 degrees Thursday morning, July 30, 2020.
Yes, it’s summer, and it is usually very hot in the southwest U.S., but even this is pretty extreme for this area with temps running about 10 degrees warmer than normal for late July in the Phoenix area.
Note: So when was the last time Duluth, Minnesota had a temperature of at least 100 degrees? Here’s your answer! 84 years and counting to find the last time when the temperature reached at least 100 degrees in Duluth, Minnesota. July 13th, 1936 was the last time Duluth had a 100 degree or warmer temperature! My math sucks, and this is just a rough estimate, but in terms of number of days since the last 100 degree temp in Duluth, it would be something like 30,000+ days! Been a while! Now there may have been several occasions since 1936 where the feels like temp or heat index has reached 100 degrees or warmer in Duluth, but I’m talking an actual temp, not factoring in the heat index or feels like temperature.
Looking at a more amplified weather pattern late this weekend into the middle of next week (~August 2 thru 5) as a cooler northerly flow covers the Great Lakes and upper Midwest, looks like will have highs in the 60s to around 70 degrees across the Northland for the early to middle part of next week the way it looks now.
Source: https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/
Thanks for reading!
Tim
