Here's a look at the temperature extremes at Minneapolis so far this year. The cold temp was -17F on January 7th and the hottest was on Monday at 101F. That's a 118F temperature difference, which is quite amazing.

Here's the weather outlook from 7AM Wednesday to 7AM Monday, which shows fairly quiet conditions in place through midweek. Weather conditions turn a little more unsettled later in the week and weekend ahead with pockets of heavier rain possible.

Here's the extended rainfall potential through early next week, which shows a few pockets of heavier stuff across parts of eastern Minnesota and Western Wisconsin.

Here's a look at the precipitation departure from average so far this June. Note that many locations are dealing with deficits, several of which are -1.00" to -2.00" or more below average through the first 20 days of the month. Minneapolis is nearly -2.25" below average, which is good enough for the 9th driest start to any June on record.

According to the NWS Twin Cities the topsoil moisture from 0 to 10 cm depth is quickly being depleted. Thanks to above average precipitation in March and April, we started June pretty close to average precipitation for the year, but this month has been quite dry, so topsoil moisture is going fast. The extreme heat isn't helping either. Hopefully some cooler and wetter weather will settle in soon.

Minnesota Drought Update

Thanks to above average precipitation so far this year, we've wiped out much of the drought that was in place to start the year. In fact, as of early January, nearly 10% of the state in northern Minnesota was considered in a severe drought. Now, only 3% of the state is considered to be abnormally dry.

So far this June, the Twin Cities is running about +2.0F above average and good enough for the 29th warmest start to any June on record. We're also nearly -2.00" below average and the 12th driest start to any June on record.

The weather outlook for Minneapolis on Wednesday shows high temps warming into the mid 80s, which will still be nearly +5F above average.

The hourly temps for Minneapolis on Wednesday shows temperatures starting in the mid 60s and warming in the mid 80s under mostly sunny skies. West to northwesterly winds will be breezy at times with gusts near 15mph to 20mph.

The extended temperature outlook for Minneapolis shows temps running above average through the end of the week. We'll be closer to if not slightly below average by the weekend.

The extended weather outlook over the next 7 days shows warmer than average temps through the end of the week with showers and storms possible later in the week. We'll be a little closer to average if not even slightly below that by Sunday.

According to the ECMWF & GFS extended temperature outlook, temps will remain above average through the end of the week. Readings will be cooler than average as we slide through the end of the month.

According to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, the 8 to 14 day temperature outlook shows above average temps across much of the nation with the exception of the Great Lakes Region.

According to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, the 8 to 14 Day precipitation outlook shows drier weather in place across the central US. The Southwestern US could actually see more active weather with increasing precipitation chances.

Monday's heat spike set records; 101F in the Twin Cities was the hottest in over 4 years - the first 100-degree high in June since 2011. Yes, if anyone asks, it was "hot enough".

Heat is America's #1 weather killer, and research suggests it's not scorching daytime heat, but sultry nighttime lows, that can be lethal overtime. If temperatures don't cool much below 80F, people can't get relief at night, and after the third or fourth night of jungle-like heat, health complications spike.

The epicenter of blast-furnace heat will be centered south of Minnesota into mid-July, in fact we will experience a nice break from the muggies. I see mostly 80s into the second week of July, with a few 70-degree days next week. Time to catch our breath.

Today will be comfortably-stunning with a canopy of blue sky stretched overhead and dew points in the 50s. Showers and T-storms return Friday and Saturday, but a fresh, Canadian breeze treats us to a September-like Sunday with 70s and a fresh breeze. I can live with that.

WEDNESDAY: Sunny with low humidity. Winds: NW 10-15. High: 85.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Mostly clear and quiet. Winds: WNW 5-10. Low: 69.

THURSDAY: Sunny and warmer again. Winds: SW 10-15. High: 92.

FRIDAY: Sticky sun, stray T-storm. Winds: S 10-20. Wake-up: 72. High: 90.

SATURDAY: Cooler, passing shower or T-shower. Winds: NW 10-20. Wake-up: 68. High: 82.

SUNDAY: Partly sunny, windy and cooler. Winds: NW 15-25. Wake-up: 61. High: 78.

MONDAY: Sunny and spectacular. Winds: SW 5-10. Wake-up: 59. High: 80.

TUESDAY: Muggy with a few thundershowers. Winds: SW 8-13. Wake-up: 64. High: 87.

June 22nd

1988: Smoke fills the sky across much of Minnesota due to wild fires during the '88 drought.

1919: The 2nd deadliest tornado in Minnesota history hits Fergus Falls, killing 59 people. Like the #1 killer tornado for Minnesota (73 fatalities in St. Cloud and Sauk Rapids on 4/14/1886), it struck on a weekend.

1917: Grand Meadow has an intense downpour, and 4.98 inches of rain on this date. Corn crops are badly damaged by the heavy rain/flooding.

June 22nd

Average High: 81F (Record: 98F set in 1911)

Average Low: 63F (Record: 42F set in 1960)

Record Rainfall: 2.12" set in 1930

Record Snowfall: None

June 22nd

Sunrise: 5:26am

Sunset: 9:03pm

Hours of Daylight: ~15 hours & 37 minutes

Daylight LOST since yesterday: ~ 3 seconds

Daylight LOST since Winter Solstice (December 21st): ~ 3 seconds

2.2 Days After Last Quarter Moon

See more from Space.com HERE:

The weather outlook on Tuesday shows well above average temps in the central US with record highs possible in the Great Lakes Region. Meanwhile, showers and storms will be possible in the Southwest with temps running nearly -15F to -20F below average in New Mexico.

Here's the national weather outlook through PM Thursday, which shows unsettled weather returning to the Midwest later in the week. However, the heaviest storms will be found in the Southwest.

According to NOAA's Weather Prediction Center, areas of heavier precipitation will be found across parts of the Southwest, mainly in New Mexico and Colorado. There will also be heavier precipitation in northern Minnesota and in Canada as well as the Northeast and Florida. The West Coast will stay mainly dry.

"A team of researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology believe that we can mitigate the worst of climate change with… space bubbles. They've outlined a strategy in which a huge raft of bubbles, carefully positioned between Earth and the Sun, would deflect sunlight (and thus heat) to stop further global warming. "Geoengineering might be our final and only option. Yet, most geoengineering proposals are earth-bound, which poses tremendous risks to our living ecosystem," a web page dedicated to the solution reads. "If we deflect 1.8% of incident solar radiation before it hits our planet, we could fully reverse today's global warming."

See more from Gizmodo HERE:

"Scientists discovered that the bears have found the means to survive stretches of about 250 days each year without sea ice. An isolated group of polar bears living in southeast Greenland has surprised scientists with its ability to survive in a habitat with relatively little sea ice. The bears' success has left scientists with new questions about the species' future in a warming world. Polar bears, which typically rely on sea ice for habitat and as platforms for hunting seals, are predicted to suffer population declines as the Arctic warms and ice becomes less plentiful. But scientists discovered that bears in southeast Greenland — which they are proposing to classify as a distinct subpopulation — have found the means to survive stretches of about 250 days each year without sea ice. Bears typically can't fast longer than 180 days."

See more from NBC News HERE:

"By now, few people question the reality that humans are altering Earth's climate. The real question is: How quickly can we halt, even reverse, the damage? Part of the answer to this question lies in the concept of 'committed warming,' also known as 'pipeline warming.' It refers to future increases in global temperatures that will be caused by greenhouse gases that have already been emitted. In other words, if the clean energy transition happened overnight, how much warming would still ensue? Earth's energy budget is out of balance Humans cause global warming when their activities emit greenhouse gases, which trap heat in the lower atmosphere, preventing it from escaping out to space. Before people began burning fossil fuels to power factories and vehicles and raising methane-emitting cattle in nearly every arable region, Earth's energy budget was roughly in balance. About the same amount of energy was coming in from the Sun as was leaving."

See more from Science Alert HERE: