Updraft: May 20, 2009 Archive

Forecast: High wind and fire danger

Posted at 8:24 AM on May 20, 2009 by Paul Huttner (1 Comments)

High wind, warm temperatures and dry air will combine to create high fire danger today across much of Minnesota. Temperatures should reach 90 degrees again today in the southern half of the state. Wind advisories and a red flag warning are posted today.

Winds will be sustained in the 25 to 35 mph range today with gusts as high as 45 mph. Relative humidity may drop into the 10 to 20% range this afternoon making for extreme fire conditions.

Parts of eastern Minnesota are still mired in drought conditions. Another dry week will likely expand and deepen the drought designations when the new U.S. Drought Monitor is issued Thursday.

Temperatures will approach record levels again this afternoon. I expect a high in the lower to mid 90's today which should make a run at the record high of 91 set in 1975.

PH

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Now that's a warm front!

Posted at 3:52 PM on May 20, 2009 by Paul Huttner (3 Comments)

Twin Cities NWS Doppler radar detects the warm front Tuesday.

Weather technology always amazes me.

Everyone knows we can see storms or even rotation on doppler radars these days. But did you know Doppler can see birds, insects or even warm fronts?

The image above front Tuesday clearly shows the record warm front that surged into the Twin Cities. Radar can see discontinuities in the atmosphere, especially when they are collecting "scatterers" such as dust or bugs. Yesterday's warm front is that east to west oriented line in the southern Twin Cities.

The warm surge brought the warmest temperatures ever recorded so early in the season for the Twin Cities and much of Minnesota.

It's nice to know our "tax dollars at work" can see other things in addition to storms.

PH

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