MSP Just had it's hottest week of 2023 with a number of 90F days. The hottest day of 2023 (so far) was on Thursday with a high of 96F and heat index values peaking around 105F to 110F. Uffda! Here are the 20 hottest days of 2023 so far. Note that we made it into the 90s again Friday, so that makes (20) 90F days this year. Our average number of 90F days is 14.

Looking at the last 30 years, the average number of 90F days at the MSP Airport is (14). July is the hottest month with an average of (6) 90F days. We've only had (3) days in the 90s this July, but have already had (14) days in the 90s this year. Last year we had (18) days in the 90s and in 2021 there were (27) days in the 90s. The most number of 90F days in any single year was (44) set in 1988.

It has been very dry across much of the region this summer with only 3.06" of rain falling at the MSP Airport from May 15th to July 27th. This is the 2nd driest such period on record with the driest being 1.90" set in 1988.

The map below shows the 60 day precipitation anomaly, which indicates that some locations are nearly -3.00" to nearly -7.00" below average (in red/pink) since mid/late May. There are a few locations across the state that have surpluses, but most locations are well below average.

Drought conditions continue to deepen across the region with a few pockets of Extreme Drought now showing up (in red). The last time that parts of Minnesota were in an Extreme Drought was back in mid December, nearly 7 months ago.

The simulated radar from AM Saturday to midday Sunday shows generally dry conditions for the first half of the weekend. However, late Sunday could feature a few showers and/or perhaps a rumble of thunder if they can hold together during the day Sunday.

The weather outlook for the Twin Cities on Saturday, July 29th will be quiet and dry with pretty comfortable temperatures. Highs may reach the low/mid 80s, which will be quite a bit cooler than it was early this week. Enjoy!

Temps on Saturday will warm into the 70s and 80s across much of Minnesota, which will be at or slightly below average for late July. Can't be this type of weather in mid summer. Enjoy!!

The 5 day temperature outlook for Minneapolis shows a break in the heat this weekend with temperatures running closer to average for this time of the year. It'll get a little hotter and steamier as we head into next week / first few days of August.

The dewpoint forecast over the next few days doesn't look too bad. It'll actually be pretty comfortable this weekend with readings falling into the 50s late Saturday and Sunday. It gets a little hotter and stickier as we head into next week.

The extended weather outlook for the Twin Cities for the last few days of July don't look too bad. We'll see temps around average through Monday, but a brief heat spike takes us back close to 90F again on Wednesday before cooling back down late next week into the low/mid 80s.

The extended temperature outlook for Minneapolis over the next several days shows a decent break in the extreme heat this weekend before another brief heat blip develops next week. It won't be a long duration event, temperatures looks to return back to or slightly above average temps next weekend.

According to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, the 8 to 14-day temperature outlook shows warmer-than-average temperatures shifting back to the Southern and Western US. Temps could actually be a little cooler than average across the northern tier of the nation, including the Midwest.

The extended precipitation outlook shows slightly more active weather developing from the Northwest through the Central US and along the East Coast. We could use more rain at home, so keep your fingers crossed.

Hey, it's hurricane season! Thankfully we don't have any major storms to talk about at the moment, but the National Hurricane Center is watching a few waves in the Atlantic Basin. We'll keep you posted if anything develops.

It's no surprise that July is a hot month, but this year it has been quite a bit more extreme. Significant heatwaves have been gripping parts of Europe, Asia and the United States with record amounts of smoke and emissions being pumped into the sky from wildfires burning in the Greek Islands and also across Canada. According to the World Meteorological Organization, this July brought the Globe its hottest day on record, the hottest 3 weeks on record, and will likely become the hottest month ever on record.

Phoenix, Arizona will end its longest consecutive stretch of highs at 110 degrees or hotter on Sunday. The streak will hit 30 days shattering the previous record of 18 set in June of 1974. Good grief!

Weather for the last weekend of July will not disappoint. Highs in the 80s with more comfy dewpoints will lure many back outdoors once again!

SATURDAY: Sunny & very pleasant. Winds: NNW 5-10. High: 85.

SATURDAY NIGHT: Mostly clear and quiet. Winds: N 5-10. Low: 62.

SUNDAY: Dry. No weather drama. Winds: N 5-10. High: 84.

MONDAY: Puffy afternoon clouds. Still nice. Winds: ESE 5-10. Wake-up: 62. High: 86.

WEDNESDAY: Minor heat spike. Late day rumbles. Winds: WSW 10-15. Wake-up: 68. High: 92.

THURSDAY: Sun returns. Not as humid. Winds: NNW 7-12. Wake-up: 68. High 87.

FRIDAY: Bright & beautiful. Clock out early? Winds: NNE 5-10. Wake-up: 67. High 86.

July 29th

1977: Due to the extreme cold, the St. Paul Winter Carnival is held indoors for the first time.

Average High: 83F (Record: 98F set in 1933, 1975 & 1999)

Average Low: 65F (Record: 47F set in 1971)

Record Rainfall: 1.11" set in 1989

Record Snowfall: NONE

July 29th

Sunset: 8:43pm

Hours of Daylight: ~14 hours & 48 minutes

Daylight LOST since yesterday: 2 Minutes & 16 Seconds

Daylight LOST since Summer Solstice (June 21st): ~ 48 minutes

2.5 Days Until Full "Sturgeon" Moon - Aug. 1 at 1:32 p.m. CDT - The Sturgeon Moon, when this large fish of the Great Lakes and other major bodies of water like Lake Champlain is most readily caught. A few tribes knew it as the Full Red Moon because the moon rises looking reddish through sultry haze, or the Green Corn Moon or Grain Moon.

Temperatures on Saturday will be very steamy across the Central and Southwestern US with readings running nearly +10F to +15F above average. There could be a few record highs across as well with strong to severe thunderstorms developing on the northern periphery of this widespread heat dome.

The weather outlook on Saturday will feature a few rowdy storms across parts of the Central US and also in the Eastern US. Large hail, damaging wind and locally heavy rainfall will be the primary concerns with any of the storms this weekend.

The weather outlook through Sunday keeps weather conditions unsettled across parts of the Central US. Most of the storms will continue to develop on the outer edge of the heat with locally heavy rainfall for some.

According to NOAA's Weather Prediction Center, the extended precipitation outlook shows heavier precipitation across parts of the Western US and Plains. Storms and heavy rainfall will be possible across the Ohio Valley and along the East Coast.

"Summer is only halfway over and wildfires in Canada have already burned roughly 12 million hectares of forest (about 30 million acres). That's an area larger than Ohio and close to double the previous record. These rampant fires are clearly bad for human communities. They have destroyed homes, forced thousands of people to evacuate, and engulfed cities in Canada and the US in smoke, threatening public health. But for many plants and animals, from birds to beetles, fire is not such a potent, existential threat. Creatures in Canada and beyond have evolved along with wildfire over many millennia, acquiring clever adaptations to survive. Some species are actually worse off without it. "Fire is a natural process," Gavin Jones, a fire ecologist at the US Forest Service, told Vox. "It's an important and critical piece of the health of our planet."

"People are responsible for their own safety," National Park spokesperson Abby Wines told CNN. She was referring to this summer's killer heat at Death Valley and elsewhere, but ultimately, this is true for every traveler. As the security experts at Global Guardian noted in a Forbes story on the world's most dangerous countries, "When in doubt, don't go." Or if you're hiking in a hot climate, go early, go hydrated, or don't go. Unfortunately, common sense isn't always so common. Summer is when most people travel, especially those with work or school schedules. More than 300 million people visit US national parks each year, and visitation is by far the highest in the summer. Wherever travelers go this summer, it seems like many are getting into trouble, with incidents that range from tragic to tawdry."

See more from Forbes HERE:

"BECAUSE YOU'RE A smooth-skinned mammal, no weather feels quite as oppressive as a humid heat wave. The more water vapor in the air, the less efficiently your sweat can evaporate and carry excess heat away from your skin. That's why 90 degrees Fahrenheit in humid Miami can feel as bad as 110 in arid Phoenix. Climate change has supercharged this summer's exceptionally brutal heat all around the world—heat waves are generally getting more frequent, more intense, and longer. But they are also getting more humid in some regions, which helps extend high temperatures through daytime peaks and into the night. Such relentless, sticky heat is not just uncomfortable, but sometimes deadly, especially for folks with health conditions like cardiovascular disease."

See more from From Wired HERE: