Producers averaged 5.4 days suitable for fieldwork for the week ending July 2, 2023, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Producers were still concerned about the lack of rain for crops, and the effects of Canadian wildfire smoke on livestock.
Topsoil moisture supplies were rated 10 percent very short, 36 percent short, 51 percent adequate, and 3 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies were rated 9 percent very short, 41 percent short, 46 percent adequate, and 4 percent surplus.
Corn silking reached 3 percent, 8 days ahead of last year and 3 days ahead of the 5-year average. Corn condition was 61 percent good to excellent.
Soybeans were 29 percent blooming, 10 days ahead of last year and 5 days ahead of the 5-year average. Soybeans began blooming at 1 percent. Soybean condition was 64 percent good to excellent.

See more from the USDA HERE:

The simulated radar from AM Sunday to Midday Monday mostly quiet weather across the region other than a few pop up t-showers across the northern part of Minnesota Sunday into Monday.

According to NOAA's Weather Prediction Center, the extended precipitation outlook doesn't appear to show a ton of widespread rainfall. Through next weekend, there could be some 0.25" to 0.50" tallies close to the Twin Cities, but the heaviest looks to farther south along the MN & IA border as well as into parts of Wisconsin.

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 5% last week to nearly 8.5% this week, which encompasses parts of the east Metro. Moderate drought increased from 44% last week to 56% this week. We need rain!

The map below shows the 60 day precipitation anomaly, which indicates that some locations are nearly -3.00" to nearly -6.00" below average (in red) since early May. Spots in Southwest Minnesota still have a surplus of almost 1" in spots.

The weather outlook for the Twin Cities on Sunday, July 9th shows another mostly dry day with temps warming into the the mid 80s. There could be a few showers north of the metro early in the morning with a few clouds, but much of the day will remain dry.

The hourly temps through the day Sunday shows temps starting around 60F in the morning with highs warming into the mid 80s by the afternoon under mostly sunny skies. Southwesterly winds will be a little breezy with gusts around 20mph to 25mph through the day.

Temps across the region on Sunday will warm into the 80s across the state, which will be at or slightly above average for this time of the year. There could be a few stray showers in the morning across the northern half of the state a few isolated thunderstorms closer to the international border in the afternoon, but most communities will remain dry.

Temperatures for the Twin Cities will be close to average on Sunday with readings in the mid 80s, but it'll get a little steamy on Monday with readings close to 90F ahead of a cool front that could produce a few showers or storms PM Monday. Temps behind the front will drop into the 70s and lower 80s midweek, which will be slightly below average for mid July.

Dewpoints won't be too bad over the next few days with readings hovering in the 50s and lower 60s. The hottest and most humid day will arrive on Monday, but it will be short lived as temps and dewpoints fall a bit later in the week.

The extended weather outlook for the Twin Cities will be a bit warmer on Sunday and Monday with temps warming to above average levels. It'll be a little cooler during the 2nd half of the week with a couple of chances of isolated afternoon thundershowers.

The NBM extended temperature outlook for Minneapolis will warm to near 90F by Monday, but will fall to more comfortable levels during the middle part of the week. Looking out into the middle part of July, we may see a bit of a warmup with readings close to 90F once again.

Weather conditions across parts of the Central US will be unsettled with daily thunderstorms chances. Some of the storms could be strong to severe with locally heavy rainfall. Meanwhile, much of the Western US will remain hot and dry. There will also be widely scattered thunderstorms across the Southeastern US with locally heavy rainfall.

According to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, the 8 to 14-day temperature outlook shows warmer-than-average temperatures across the Southern tier of the nation. We'll also see above average temps across the Great Lakes and Northeastern US.

According to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, the 8 to 14 Day precipitation outlook shows more active weather possible across parts of the eastern US. Meanwhile, drier weather will continue across much of the Western US.

Happy National Lakes Appreciation Month! According to the MNDNR data base, Minnesota is home to more than 14,000 lakes with Lake of the Woods being the largest of them all (Lake Superior doesn't count). With more than 34,000 miles of lakeshore across the state, many love to be in and around water during the summer months.

Note that July is also also National UV Safety Month and The American Cancer Society reminds us that 1 in 5 Americans get skin cancer. Unfortunately, just 5 sunburns doubles your risk of developing melanoma, which is the deadliest form of skin cancer. Being at the lake increases your sun exposure due to the additional reflection of the sun off the water. Stay UV aware and don't forget the sunscreen!

It'll be another lake worthy day today with sunshine and mild temperatures. A few late day t-showers could bubble up north of the metro, but most folks will stay dry this afternoon. The week ahead could feature a few stray summertime rain blobs, but not enough to end the increasing drought.

My garden is thirsty!

SUNDAY: Pleasant. PM shower North. Winds: WSW 10-15. High: 86.

SUNDAY NIGHT: Mostly clear and quiet. Winds: SW 10-15. Low: 68.

MONDAY: Warmer. Isolated afternoon t-shower. Winds: WNW 10-15. High: 90.

TUESDAY: Not as hot. Showers overnight. Winds: ESE 5-10. Wake-up: 60. High 80.

WEDNESDAY: More clouds. Better chance of rain. Winds: E 10-15. Wake-up: 60 High: 78.

THURSDAY: Mix of sun and clouds. Stray t-shower. Winds: WNW 5-10. Wake-up: 61. High 82.

FRIDAY: Summertime clouds. PM storm. Winds: WSW 5-10. Wake-up: 63. High 84.

SATURDAY: Increasing rain and rumble risk. Winds: W 5-10. Wake-up. 64. High: 85.

July 9th

1932: A tornado touches down near Springfield and moves into St. James, causing 500 thousand dollars in damage.

July 9th

Average High: 84F (Record: 99F set in 1976)

Average Low: 65F (Record: 48F set in 1895)

Record Rainfall: 2.55" set in 2000

Record Snowfall: NONE

July 9th

Sunrise: 5:35m

Sunset: 9:00pm

Hours of Daylight: ~15 hours & 24 minutes

Daylight LOST since yesterday: 1 Minute & 14 Seconds

Daylight LOST since Summer Solstice (June 21st): ~ 12 minutes

02. Days After Last Quarter Moon

See more from Space.com HERE:

Temperatures on Sunday across the Southwest will still be very hot, where excessive heat concerns are still in place. Temperatures will warm to well above average levels and into the 100s. Meanwhile, readings from the Midwest to the Northeast will be a little cooler than average.

The weather outlook on Sunday will feature scattered storms across parts of the Central and Southern US, some of which could be strong to severe. There will also be widespread storms chances across the Eastern US.

The weather outlook through Monday shows unsettled weather across parts of the Central and Eastern US with strong to severe storms possible. There could also be locally heavy rainfall and isolated flood concerns.

According to NOAA's Weather Prediction Center, the extended precipitation outlook shows heavier precipitation across parts of the Central US, from the Central Plains to the Ohio and Tennessee Valley and into the Northern New England States. Meanwhile, the Western US will be hot and dry into next week.

"Climate change moves quickly. From California's atmospheric rivers to Asia's heatwave to the Chilean wildfires, the extremes we're experiencing today require an all-hands approach to improve environmental conditions for our planet. Over the past decade, we've seen a surge in technological advancements that have enhanced our ability to monitor and understand the world around us. One of the most exciting developments in the fight against climate change lies in the rapid growth of the space industry over the past few years, which has the potential to unlock more data and have a major impact on how we study our warming planet. Satellites can reveal ways human activity and rising temperatures have impacted our planet, and more importantly help us take action before it's too late. In my work building hyperspectral satellites at Pixxel and helping companies and organizations around the world reduce our collective environmental impact, I see three main areas where space data can revolutionize how we protect the Earth."

See more from Fast Company HERE:

"3.5 billion people. That's how many of us are alive today thanks to an innovation many people have probably never heard of: the Haber-Bosch process. Invented back in the early twentieth century, the chemists Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch figured out how to cheaply turn atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia, a nitrogen-rich compound that plants can use to grow, unlocking a powerful new way to help crops reach their maximum potential yield. The profound impact of this single technology cannot be overstated. Farms in the year 1900 required nearly four times as much land as in the year 2000 to grow the same average crop yield. This dramatic gain in efficiency over the last decades, as illustrated below, rank as one of the greatest breakthrough stories of the modern era."

See more from Forbes HERE:

Amateur astrophotographer Uğur İkizler not only loves capturing the stars but is also fascinated by the weather. He's constantly keeping tabs on upcoming storms, and so when a forecast predicted a massive lightning storm, he grabbed his gear and headed out on his balcony. In the end, his diligence was paid back tenfold by the stunning composite photo he came away with. Over the course of 50 minutes, he was able to capture images of lightning bolts striking the water in Mudanya, Turkey. He then took 30 of his best frames and merged them together to create an amazing composite photo. While İkizler clearly stated that the photo was a composite when he posted the image on Instagram, he said that many people still believe that all the lightning struck at once.

See more from From My Modern Met HERE: