Updraft: June 28, 2011 Archive

Perfect 10! Best week of summer? 95+ by Thursday?

Posted at 8:59 AM on June 28, 2011 by Paul Huttner (2 Comments)
Filed under: Summer

Call it "root beer float week."

That's what we call the first really hot week of summer around the weather lab, and it looks like we'd better stock up this week.

A spectacular looking forecast will finally bring a string of sunny, dry and increasingly warm days to cloud weary Minnesotans this week.

"Clean" high pressure:

The first "clean" high pressure system in weeks is building over Minnesota today & Wednesday. "Clean" ridges show strong "anticyclonic curvature" on the weather maps, and feature dry air from the surface up to several thousand feet.

Surface weather maps show dry high pressure eroding clouds over Minnesota.

The result is near total sunshine, and increasingly warm weather. That's our weather fare this week.

"Dirty" highs often have less curvature and residual moisture. That means clouds linger, even though high pressure builds at the surface. That's the weather we've seen often this year.

Summer heat builds later this week:

Today & Wednesday will feel almost perfect to Minnesotans. Highs into the upper 70s Tuesday should push into the mid 80s Wednesday.

The heat will really build Thursday, and a ridge of high pressure expands right over Minnesota. The strong southerly flow will push or "advect" hot air from the south & southwest into Minnesota Thursday.

Low 90s may be conservative by Thursday afternoon.

One method of temperature projections yields an afternoon high of 95 degrees or hotter for southern Minnesota Thursday PM. It is not out of the question that some bank thermometers in southwest Minnesota could flash 100+ degrees Thursday.

Tropical humidity gushes north:

Comfortable air will rule Minnesota through Wednesday with dew points in the comfy 50s & lower 60s.

But an increasingly tropical air mass will push into Minnesota starting Wednesday night. By Thursday, dew points may reach 70 degrees, and be climbing.

This sweaty, steamy tropical air mass will feature Amazon Jungle humidity levels Thursday. That sound you hear Thursday is the chorus of air conditioners humming along as heat indices peak over 100 degrees.

"Cooler" front Friday:

A weak cool front will push through Friday with fresh northwest winds, a drop in humidity...but only slightly cooler weather.

Temperatures may still peak at or near 90 Friday and into the start of the 4th of July weekend. It should be great weather for boating, or taking a dip in your favorite lake...even as lake water temps continue to trend on the cool side this year.

The 4th of July weekend looks great through Sunday right now....scattered T-Storm chances may increase Saturday night & as we approach the 4th.

Latest sunsets of the year this week!

These are the best days of the year at the weather lab. I'm a sunset guy, and this week marks the latest sunset times of the year in the northern hemisphere.

In the metro, the sun sets at 9:04pm right through Sunday. On clear nights there is still noticeable light in the northwest sky until well after 10pm!

In Roseau and Hallock the sunset is around 9:30pm this week!

These are the evenings to take that late evening stroll, bike ride or boat ride.

Ah summer!

Southwest Heat: Vegas weather dice come up with a record

Talk about a "dry heat!"

Las Vegas set an all time record "dew point depression" of 129 degrees Monday. Dew point depression is the difference between the temperature and dew point.

With a temp of 107, the dew point in Vegas was -22! Relative humidity was 1%! Now that's a dry heat.

RECORD REPORT

RECORD EVENT REPORT...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV 445 PM PDT MON JUN 27 2011

...ALL-TIME RECORD DEW POINT DEPRESSION SET AT LAS VEGAS TODAY...

AT 432 PM PDT TODAY THE DEW POINT DEPRESSION AT MCCARRAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN LAS VEGAS REACHED 129 DEGREES. THE DEW POINT DEPRESSION IS DEFINED AS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE AIR TEMPERATURE AND THE DEW POINT TEMPERATURE. IN THE CASE OF TODAY THE AIR TEMPERATURE WAS 107 DEGREES AT 432 PM AND THE DEW POINT TEMPERATURE WAS -22 DEGREES. THIS MADE FOR A RELATIVE HUMIDITY OF 1 PERCENT AT THE TIME. THE PREVIOUS ALL-TIME RECORD DEW POINT DEPRESSION FOR LAS VEGAS WAS 120 DEGREES SET ON JULY 2ND 2007. THE ABOVE INFORMATION IS PRELIMINARY AND IS SUBJECT TO A FINAL REVIEW BEFORE BEING CERTIFIED BY THE NATIONAL CLIMATIC DATA CENTER.

$$ STACHELSKI/GORELOW

More "dry heat" in Vegas today.

Enjoy our nearly "perfect" Minnesota weather today!

PH

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