Warm, Hazy Weekend Weather

As wildfire smoke continues to linger causing poor air quality values in portions of Northern Minnesota and the Red River Valley, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has extended the Air Quality Alert for the locations in gray above through Noon Saturday. This includes locations such as Moorhead, East Grand Forks, Hibbing, International Falls, and Ely. You can read more about the Air Quality Alert by clicking here.

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A sunny start to the weekend is expected in the Twin Cities Saturday, though you should expect a hazy look to the sky as we will still feature wildfire smoke across the region. Morning lows bottom out in the 60s before highs climb to the mid-80s in the late afternoon hours.

Hazy skies will be possible across much of the state Saturday due to the wildfire smoke in the air with most locations topping off in the 80s and low 90s for highs.

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Not much change on Sunday across the region, though it will be a few degrees warmer under mainly sunny skies. The warmest temperatures will be in portions of northern Minnesota, where locations like International Falls, Bemidji, and Roseau could top off in the 90s.

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We could even see record highs up in northern Minnesota early next week. The record Monday for Baudette is 86F set back in 2016.

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Please Don't Scare The Tourists
By Paul Douglas

A few years ago I reviewed a forecast forwarded to me by a friend and TV meteorologist in Phoenix. She did a great job, but I was gob-smacked by her 7-Day Outlook. "Sunday, very warm with a high of 115 degrees!" When I asked her about semantics she told me it was an edict from her news director. "I never use the word hot. It scares the tourists" she said. OK. And any temperature below -15F will heretofore be considered "very chilly".

Expect "warm" conditions next week with a streak of low to mid 90s and little chance of rain. A few T-storms may flare up over far northern Minnesota next Saturday but a hot, dry, sunny bias continues until further notice. Welcome to a true Kansas City summer.

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Paul's Extended Twin Cities Forecast

SATURDAY: Smoky sunshine. Wake up 64. High 86. Chance of precipitation 0%. Wind SE 5-10 mph.

SUNDAY: Hazy sunshine, hit the lakes. Wake up 67. High 88. Chance of precipitation 0%. Wind SE 5-10 mph.

MONDAY: Blazing saddles. Hot sunshine. Wake up 68. High 91. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind W 5-10 mph.

WEDNESDAY: Hazy sunshine. Dog Days are here. Wake up 70. High 93. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind SW 10-15 mph.

THURSDAY: Ditto. Sweaty sunshine. Wake up 71. High 92. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind W 5-10 mph.

FRIDAY: Blue sky, breezy and hot. Wake up 72. High 93. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind E 10-20 mph.

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Minneapolis Weather Almanac And Sun Data
July 17th

*When Do We Drop Below 15 Hours Of Daylight? July 24th (14 hours, 58 minutes, and 22 seconds)
*When Is The Sunrise At/After 6 AM?: August 2nd (6:00 AM)
*When Is The Sunset At/Before 8:30 PM?: August 7th (8:30 PM)

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This Day in Weather History
July 17th

2001: Lightning struck a Minnesota National Guard field training site located in Camp Ripley. Nearly two dozen Marine Corps reservists were sent to hospitals. Most were released after treatment.

1952: 5.20 inches of rain falls in 3 1/2 hours at Moose Lake. Numerous basements flood, and Highway 61 becomes impassable at Willow River.

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On Saturday, an area of low pressure working into the Northeast will produce heavy showers and thunderstorms and potentially damaging winds as well. A front extending southwestward from that low will continue to produce storm chances back into the central United States.

The heaviest rain through Sunday will fall from the central U.S. through the Ohio River Valley and into the Northeast, where rainfall totals of at least 2-4" are possible.

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At least 69 dead as parts of Europe see 2 months of rain in 2 days

Biden administration to restore protections for U.S.' largest national forest

More from CBS News: "The Biden administration moved Thursday to reverse a Trump-imposed policy that opened major areas of the U.S.' largest national forest, the Tongass National Forest in Alaska, to logging and road development. The U.S. Department of Agriculture also said it intends to end large-scale old growth timber sales in the area. The forest was originally protected by the 2001 Roadless Rule, which bans logging and road development in certain parts of the country. But in his final months in office, Trump exempted the forest from the rule. In a Thursday notice, the White House said the administration would look to "repeal or replace" that exemption."

Work Injuries Tied to Heat Are Vastly Undercounted, Study Finds

More from the New York Times: "Extreme heat causes many times more workplace injuries than official records capture, and those injuries are concentrated among the poorest workers, new research suggests, the latest evidence of how climate change worsens inequality. Hotter days don't just mean more cases of heat stroke, but also injuries from falling, being struck by vehicles or mishandling machinery, the data show, leading to an additional 20,000 workplace injuries each year in California alone. The data suggest that heat increases workplace injuries by making it harder to concentrate."

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- D.J. Kayser