Category: ridge
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High Instability Sunday, but Cap Could Delay or Limit Storm Development
Scattered intense thunderstorms are possible in northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin from Sunday into Sunday night. This threat is driven by strong mid and upper-level winds, high instability (CAPE), and steep mid-level lapse rates between 7 and 8.5 C/km across the Northland. Ample moisture will also be available, with dew…
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Northland Heat Wave, BWCA Fire Growth and Smoke Risk This Week
Today’s blog will take a bit longer to read, about five minutes, as there’s plenty of weather to cover, including fires and heat across the Northland. As expected, the ridge over the upper Midwest has reached near-historic levels for this far north, with the RAP model indicating 500mb heights hitting…
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Low Overnight Storm Chances Tonight, Then a Remarkable 597–600 dam Ridge Builds Into the Northland Early Next Week
While chances are low, some model runs today suggest showers and thunderstorms could form over far northern Minnesota or southern Ontario tonight. If they do develop, they’d likely track southeast early Sunday morning. There’s plenty of instability and moisture in the air to support storms but rising heights from a…
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Strong +3 Sigma Ridge Brings the Hottest Weather of Summer to the Northland
The upcoming 500mb ridge is expected to peak at about +2.5 to +3.0 sigma across the northern Plains and upper Midwest early next week, according to the GFS model. It’s quite an impressive ridge for this far north. High temperatures are expected to range from about 87 to 95 degrees…
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Northland Forecast: Muggy Monday, Storm Chances & Late‑June Snow Out West
A strong southerly low-level jet will keep pushing plenty of moisture north into our area tonight. This afternoon’s surface map shows two boundaries: one behaving more like a moisture gradient front, with dew points climbing into the 70s to the south and sitting in the 50s and low 60s to…
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Birch Bay Fire Update and Weather Forecast
The Northland remains under an upper-level ridge, keeping conditions dry, while more unsettled weather is found near two troughs—one to the west and the other to the east. …Birch Bay Fire… 5:29 PM Monday 6/1/2026: The fire covers 25 acres. 4:48 PM Monday 6/1/2026: This afternoon, a new fire broke…
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Late‑May Ridge Locks In: Dry Stretch Continues Across the Northland
As May wraps up, the weather pattern stays pretty amplified, with a big ridge stretching from central Canada to the Great Lakes, and two troughs—one over the northern Rockies and another over the Northeast U.S. Most of the Northland remains in a dry spell beneath the ridge, with little to…