May the way it was meant to be

Today will be close to perfect as a bubble of high pressure passes directly over Minnesota (look for the giant blue "H" drifting over your house). Or not. The sun will be out most of the day, a few popcorn cumulus clouds sprouting this afternoon, in response to the sun's heating of the ground. A gentle breeze will blow from the west during the morning, shifting around to a more southerly direction by afternoon. Temperatures will run a few degrees below average for May 14, but in the sun it will feel lukewarm and very pleasant. Check out the rest of Paul's daily weather column at Conservation Minnesota's special weather site: www.mnweathercenter.org.


I had to do a double-take when I saw the 75 hour precipitation forecast from coolwx.com. You can see a bullseye of heavy rain over the Midwest, well south and east of Minnesota. The graphic to the upper right shows expected snowfall (I know, seems a shame to have to show you this on May 15, 5 weeks from the summer solstice). I'm just the messenger, remember? A coating to 1/2" of snow may fall north of Grand Rapids and Bemidji, maybe enough slush to ice up a few roads in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area by tonight. Good grief, I'm having a rare, fleeting "where-the-heck-am-I-living moment." It'll pass....

Weather Headlines

* Today: cooler than average, but the sun shines most of the day, about 5 degrees cooler than average.

* Friday frontal passage with 2-4 hours of rain, as much as a quarter inch of rain may fall on some towns and farms.

* Jacket-worthy Saturday on tap with highs stuck in the 50s and a stiff breeze. The sun should be peeking through, especially PM hours.

* Sunday: nicer day of the weekend, less wind, 5-7 degrees warmer than Saturday with more sunshine.

* 70s return early next week, even a shot at 80 by Tuesday.

* Is your lawn/garden getting 1" of water every week? That's how much is required during the spring/summer months. Most towns haven't seen 1" of rain the last 7 days, some watering advised.



Paul's Outlook

Today: Plenty of sun, very pleasant! Winds: W/S 5-15. High: 64

Tonight: Fine evening, clouds increase overnight. Low: 48

Friday: More clouds, a passing shower, possible thunder. High: 67

Saturday: A mix of clouds and sun, breezy and noticeably cooler. Jacket weather returns. High: 58

Sunday: More sun, less wind, turning milder. High: 65

Monday: Partly cloudy, lukewarm. High: 75

Tuesday: Windy and warm, chance of T-storms late. High: near 8

Wednesday: Showers and storms likely, turning cooler. High: 69 (falling during the PM).