It’ll be a nice weekend in the Northland with pleasantly cool nights and mild to warm afternoons along with low humidity, but the lingering issue continues to be how dry it is in our area, with both Duluth and International Falls running -3″+ below normal in rainfall since June 1st, and from -4 to -5″ below normal in precipitation since January 1st. The next chance for some rain comes around the middle of next week, Tuesday or Wednesday, July 13-14, but rainfall coverage and amounts aren’t looking too impressive at the moment.
Highs in the Northland on Saturday will range from the upper 70s to middle 80s, with Sunday’s highs in the 80s. Note: Warmest temps both days will be in far northern Minnesota where a few locations could hit 90 on Sunday.
It’s a little more difficult to make out the widespread smoke on satellite imagery today due to a mix of cumulus clouds and high level clouds which is moving over the smoke plume in Ontario, but that orange outlined area is an approximation of thicker wildfire smoke, and this smoke plume is still forecast to drift south and southwest covering much of the Northland Saturday and Sunday per HRRR model forecast, and depending on how thick this smoke is, and how much if any mixes down to the surface will determine whether or not an Air Quality Alert is issued for all or parts of northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin this weekend.
Goes-16 visible satellite loop from Friday, July 9, 2021.
Much cooler temperatures the last few days has caused the average monthly temps for July 2021 to drop a bit across the Northland, but this July is still running anywhere from 1 to 4 degrees warmer than average in most of the area.
Average monthly temps and their departure from normal for July 2021 (thru the 8th)
Brainerd, MN: 70.3 F (+1.2 degrees above normal)
International Falls, MN: 68.3 F (+4.2 degrees above normal)
Duluth, MN: 67.0 F (+1.3 degrees above normal
Ashland, WI: 65.3 F (-0.4 degrees below normal)
Hibbing, MN: 64.9 F (+2.1 degrees above normal)
The temperature pattern so far in July 2021 has been pretty similar to what we saw last month, and that’s much warmer than average conditions across the west and north, and much cooler than average conditions across the south.
*Record Cold in the Northland this morning, Friday, July 9, 2021*
Hibbing, Minnesota: New record low for July 9 is 36 degrees; old record low was 42 degrees set in 1977, 2014 and 2015.
Ashland, Wisconsin: New record low for July 9 is 37 degrees; old record low was 41 degrees set in 1997 and 2009.
Low Temperature Reports from Friday morning, July 9, 2021
- 2 S Brimson, MN: 34
- Eveleth, MN: 35
- Chisholm-Hibbing Airport: 36
- Skibo, MN: 37
- 6 WSW Beaver Bay, MN: 37
- Ashland, WI: 37
- Glidden, WI: 39
- Clam Lake, WI: 39
- Aitkin, MN: 39
- Cloquet, MN: 39
- Bigfork, MN: 39
- Hermantown, MN: 40
- Superior Airport: 40
- South Range, WI: 40
- Crane Lake, MN: 41
- McGregor, MN: 41
- Washburn, WI: 41
- Barnes, WI: 42
- Esko, MN: 43
- Grand Marais Airport: 43
- International Falls, MN: 43 (3rd coldest low on record for 7/9)
- Two Harbors, MN: 43
- Moose Lake, MN: 43
- Cook, MN: 43
- Duluth Airport: 43 (2nd coldest low on record for 7/9)
- Ely, MN: 43
- Cass Lake, MN: 44
- Walker, MN: 44
Tim
