Here are the warmest 25 days of 2023 so far. Note that we've 14s days in the 90s, which is the average number that we typically see in a year. The warmest day was 95F on July 3rd.

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 an extremely dry stretch of weather over the last couple of months with only 1.86" of rain falling since May 15th. This is the 2nd driest such period on record and not by much. The driest such period was 1.61" set in 1988. Note that last summer was pretty dry too. Last year, the same time period only saw 3.21" of rain, which is the 6th driest period on record.

The stretch from June 1st to August 30th is known as meteorological summer, which is typically the warmest 3 months on average for the northern hemisphere. This is also the wettest season of the year, averaging nearly 13" of rain. We've now just passed the halfway point of meteorological summer and we've only picked up 1.69" of rain at the MSP Airport, which is tied for the 3rd driest start to any summer on record. The driest such period was back in 1988, when only 1.10" of rain fell.

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 May. Spots in Southwestern and northwestern Minnesota still have a bit of a surplus, but much of the region is well below average precipitation.

It has been an extremely dry stretch of weather across much of the station over the last several weeks. Only a few locations have seen decent pockets of rain, but the drought is expanding. Severe drought conditions have expanded from nearly 8.5% last week to nearly 11% this week, which encompasses parts of the east Metro. Moderate drought increased from 57% last week to 64% this week. We need rain!

The extended precipitation outlook through early next week shows a few pockets of heavier rain, mainly across the northern half of the state. Folks across the southern half of the state will stay mainly dry with only a few tenths of an inch of rain here and there.

According to NOAA's SPC, there is a risk of strong to severe thunderstorms across parts of the region on Wednesday. Large hail will be the primary threat along with strong winds. There could also be an isolated tornado threat as well.

The simulated radar from early AM Wednesday to AM Thursday shows a couple of rounds of showers and storms moving through the region. The first round of storms will move through early Wednesday morning, likely not severe. The second batch of storms will develop in the afternoon and evening, which could prompt some warnings due to large hail, damaging winds and the potential of an isolated tornado or two.

The weather outlook for the Twin Cities on Wednesday, July 19th will be unsettled with showers and storms possible. There could be some rain and rumbles early in the morning with some redevelopment in the afternoon and evening. Some of the storms could be strong to severe with locally heavy rainfall. Temperatures will warm into the upper 80s with a little more humidity, so it'll be a bit on the warmish side.

The hourly temps through the day Wednesday shows temps starting in the mid 60s in the morning and topping out in the mid/upper 80s in the afternoon. Showers and storms will be possible early in the morning with another round of showers and storms developing in the afternoon and evening. Southwesterly winds will be a bit breezy with gusts approaching 20mph to 25mph.

Temps across the region on Wednesday will warm into the 70s across the northern half of the state and into the 80s across the southern half of the state. Scattered showers and storms will be possible, some of which could be strong to severe with locally heavy rainfall in spots.

The 5 day temperature outlook for Minneapolis shows highs generally warming into the 80s over the next several days. The warmest days will be Wednesday and Saturday with readings in the upper 80s, which will be nearly +5F above average.

Dewpoints on Wednesday will be a little sticker than they have been as of late. We'll see those readings dip back down into the 50s on Friday.

The extended weather outlook for the Twin Cities shows shower and storm chances moving through on Wednesday, some of which could be strong to severe. Drier conditions return through the 2nd half of the week and weekend ahead with a gradual warming trend into the 90s next week.

The NBM extended temperature outlook for Minneapolis shows gradually warming temperatures into the end of the month with highs back in the low/mid 90s. These readings will be well above average once again.

Weather conditions across parts of the Central US will be unsettled at times with chances of showers and thunderstorms drifting through. There could be a few isolated severe storms with locally heavy rainfall, but the most unsettled weather appears to be developing along and east of the Mississippi River Valley. The Western US will remain mostly hot and dry as the heat dome continues.

According to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, the 8 to 14-day temperature outlook shows warmer-than-average temperatures across much of the nation, including the Midwest. Well above average temperatures will be in place across the Southern US.

More unsettled weather will be possible across parts of the Intermountain-West and the Great Lakes Region. It'll be a little drier in the Northwest and the Southern US.

I don't take a blue-sky summer day for granted anymore. And it's no wonder we're being invaded by plumes of dirty air snaking southward out of Canada. At last report there were 880 fires from Quebec to British Columbia, 580 of those blazing out of control. I suspect smoke will be a sputtering nuisance into autumn, along with drought.

Meteorological summer (since June 1) is the 3rd driest on record. Since May 15 in the Twin Cities it's been the second driest on record. Only 1988 was drier.

The extremes are trending more extreme over time, and the old adage is true: only in Minnesota can you be knee-deep in mud with dust blowing in your face! We interrupt this drought for a slight severe storm risk later today. A few cells may drop ping pong size hail. A few scrawny storms may bubble up late Saturday, but I can't get excited about rain chances anytime soon. 80-degree highs give way to some 90s next week. Mid to upper 90s are possible the latter half of next week. 90.3" snow, followed by a real summer eh?

WEDNESDAY: Some sun, severe T-storms? Winds: SW 10-20. High: 87.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Chance of t-showers early, then clearing. Winds: WNW 10-15. Low: 64.

THURSDAY: Partly sunny, cooler breeze. Winds: NW 15-25. High 80.

FRIDAY: Sunny, winds ease. Winds: NW 7-12. Wake-up: 63. High 85.

SATURDAY: Hazy sun, few T-storms nearby. Winds: W 7-12. Wake-up: 67. High: 87.

SUNDAY: Sunny and hot. Winds: NW 7-12. Wake-up: 66. High: 89.

MONDAY: Warm sunshine. Winds: S 5-10. Wake-up: 64. High: 86.

TUESDAY: Mostly sunny, partly-sweaty. Winds: SE 7-12. Wake-up: 67. High 87.

July 19th

1987: The town of Floodwood lives up to its name with nearly 6 inches of rain in two days.

July 19th

Average High: 84F (Record: 100F set in 1977)

Average Low: 66F (Record: 46F set in 1873)

Record Rainfall: 1.75" set in 1957

Record Snowfall: NONE

July 19th

Sunrise: 5:44m

Sunset: 8:53pm

Hours of Daylight: ~15 hours & 8 minutes

Daylight LOST since yesterday: 1 Minute & 49 Seconds

Daylight LOST since Summer Solstice (June 21st): ~ 28 minutes

2.5 Days Since New Moon

See more from Space.com HERE:

Temperatures on Wednesday will still be extremely hot across the Southwestern US, where readings will be nearly +10F above average. It'll also be quite hot in the Pacific Northwest, where readings will reach the 90s.

The weather outlook on Wednesday will feature isolated thunderstorms across parts of the Central US, some of which could be strong to severe with locally heavy rainfall.

The weather outlook through Thursday shows isolated storms across parts of the Central US. Some of the storms could be strong to severe with locally heavy rainfall. There will also be more storms moving into the Eastern US.

According to NOAA's Weather Prediction Center, the extended precipitation outlook shows heavier precipitation across parts of the Central and Eastern US. Some of the heaviest rains will fall across the Central Plains and the Tennessee Valley. There will also be some heavy rains in the Southeastern US.

The World Meteorological Organisation has declared the onset of the first El Nino event in seven years. It estimates 90 per cent probability the climatic phenomenon, involving an unusual warming of the Pacific Ocean, will develop through 2023, and be of moderate strength. El Nino events bring hotter, drier weather to places such as Brazil, Australia and Indonesia, increasing the risk of wildfires and drought. Elsewhere, such as Peru and Ecuador, it increases rain, leading to floods. The effects are sometimes described as a preview of "the new normal" in the wake of human-forced climate change. Of particular concern is the effect on agricultural production, and thereby the price of food - particularly "breadbasket" staples such as wheat, maize and rice. El Nino's global impacts are complex and multifaceted. It can potentially impact the lives of the majority of the world's population.

See more from The Economic Times HERE:

"Just weeks after a third of the US population was hit with air-quality alerts thanks to smoke from climate-change-fueled fires in Canada, 100 million Americans are now under heat alerts. A cap of extra-hot air, known as a heat dome, has settled over the West and South, pushing temperatures relentlessly higher. The map below shows excessive heat warnings in purple and heat advisories in orange, and the forecast is that things will get worse through the weekend. Highs will stay above 110° Fahrenheit in Phoenix; California's Death Valley is flirting with 130°; and Texas' grid is struggling to keep the AC on. This follows the hottest June on record globally. "With an evolving El Niño event, that is certain to further increase global temperatures," says Howard Diamond, climate science program manager at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Air Resources Laboratory. (El Niño is a band of warm water that develops in the Pacific Ocean and influences weather around the world.) "Canada has also experienced multiple bouts of prolonged heat this summer, contributing to the worst wildfire season the country has ever seen," Diamond adds."

See more from ArsTechnica HERE:

"Two coronal mass ejections have combined into an enormous cloud of magnetized plasma that is forecast to hit Earth on Tuesday and potentially trigger a strong geomagnetic storm. A "cannibal" coronal mass ejection birthed from multiple solar storms, including a surprise "dark eruption," is currently on a collision course with Earth and could trigger a sizable geomagnetic storm on our planet when it hits on Tuesday (July 18). Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are large, fast-moving clouds of magnetized plasma and solar radiation that occasionally get flung into space alongside solar flares — powerful explosions on the sun's surface that are triggered when horseshoe-shaped loops of plasma located near sunspots snap in half like an overstretched elastic band. If CMEs smash into Earth, they can cause geomagnetic storms — disturbances in our planet's magnetic field — that can trigger partial radio blackouts and produce vibrant aurora displays much farther away from Earth's magnetic poles than normal."

See more from From Space HERE: