Weather forecasts should come with a warning label — and an interpreter. "Ah, smiling sun with only one thunderbolt? Maybe I'll luck out today!" Or not.
The word "rain" implies everyone will get wet, with rain falling a significant part of the day. Summer precipitation is showery, hit or miss, but we can quantify the risk.
I try to shy away from "probability of precipitation." A 30 percent risk of thunderstorms doesn't mean 30 percent of the day will be wet or 30 percent of Minnesota will get wet. It means on three of 10 similar days, one spot will pick up .01 inch of rain or more.
I prefer "isolated" showers (fewer than 10 percent of us will get wet), "scattered" (10-50 percent), "numerous" (50-80 percent) or "widespread" (over 80 percent). The verbiage can be as tricky as the forecast.
A grumble of thunder is possible early today as winds shift to the north. European guidance shows highs near 90F much of this week; the best chance of T- storms Thursday, again Sunday.
