Looks like a mild week across the Northland with high temps on Monday ranging from around 70 to the middle 70s, highs on Tuesday mainly in the 70s, then on Wednesday some parts of the area could have highs in the 80s. Note: Normal highs across the Northland in mid-August are in the middle 70s while normal lows are in the lower to middle 50s.
Will have a dry air mass in place through Tuesday with low dew points, but it does turn a little muggier from mid to late week as dew points climb toward the 60 degree mark, and possibly even a little higher!
Isolated showers this evening, followed by mainly dry weather for Monday and Tuesday. Our next shot for some showers or thunderstorms comes mid to late week the way it looks now.
Very little change in the upper level pattern this week as a massive upper level ridge with intense heat and 500mb heights up to around 6000 decameters covers the western U.S. while east of this ridge a pleasant NW flow aloft will be found across the upper Midwest and Great Lakes which leads to cool nights and mild afternoons.
Source: 18z NAM model 500mb forecast ending 1 AM Thursday, August 20, 2020; https://weather.cod.edu/
Source: https://lab.weathermodels.com/
Excessive heat warnings and advisories cover a large portion of the western U.S. over the next few days.
Source: https://www.pivotalweather.com/
First half of August 2020 Climate Stats
| Brainerd, Minnesota Average temperature: 69.9 degrees Departure: +0.9 degrees above normal Total precipitation: 2.86″ Departure: +1.43″ above normal Duluth, Minnesota Average temperature: 67.3 degrees Departure: +1.7 degrees above normal Total precipitation: 1.91″ Departure: +0.16″ above normal Ashland, Wisconsin Average temperature: 66.7 degrees Departure: +0.8 degrees above normal Total precipitation: 3.03″ Departure: +0.97″ above normal International Falls, Minnesota Average temperature: 63.9 degrees Departure: -0.8 degrees below normal Total precipitation: 3.66″ Departure: +2.28″ above normal Hibbing, Minnesota Average temperature: 62.6 degrees Departure: -1.1 degrees below normal Total precipitation: 4.29″ Departure: +2.75″ above normal |
The biggest temperature anomalies either above normal or below normal so far this month have been across all but the northern US where average monthly temps so far this month have been running very close to normal.
Source: https://lab.weathermodels.com/
Rainfall has been running well above normal so far this month across north-central into east-central Minnesota into southern portions of northwest Wisconsin and close to normal in northeast Minnesota and in far northwest Wisconsin.
Source: https://lab.weathermodels.com/
Thanks for reading!
Tim
