Tonka water level down nearly 6 inches, drier pattern?

Welcome to Minnesota, Land of 10,000 Weather Extremes.

The wettest year on record so far has been a challenge for many of us.

Let's face it; water sloshed in places (like basements and farm fields) around Minnesota this year that have never seen water in our lifetimes. Lakes and some rivers surged to all time records.

One of those is Lake Minnetonka, which set a new all time record high of 931.11 feet above sea level on June 23.

Here's Wednesday's Minnehaha Creek Watershed District update on falling lake levels on Minnetonka, which have mercifully but slowly dropped nearly 6 inches since June 23.

The wettest Twin Cities spring on record has caused historically high water levels on lakes and streams across the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District.

As of Wednesday, July 9, Lake Minnetonka was 930.63 feet above sea level, having dropped about 2.5 inches over the past week and sitting more than 5 inches below the all-time high of 931.11 set on Monday, June 23. The lake is still 1.3 inches higher than the pre-2014 all-time high of 930.52 set in 2002.

Due to the record rainfall, the volume of water in the system has exceeded the Gray’s Bay Dam’s capacity to manage water levels on Lake Minnetonka and Minnehaha Creek. Since the lake level went above 930 feet on May 9, water has been flowing over the spillway north of the dam.

Because the wetland at the headwaters of Minnehaha Creek has reached nearly the same level as Lake Minnetonka, it is difficult to estimate how much water is flowing into the creek. As of Wednesday, July 9, the creek was flowing at 352 cubic feet per second at McGinty Road, which is the first overpass downstream of the dam.

When the lake levels on Minnetonka reaches 930.30 feet above sea level the Lake Minnetonka Conservation District will remove the wake restrictions and high water emergency declaration.

This forecaster thinks we could be close to that level by the end of next week.

Time to polish up the jet ski?

That said, I have spoken with many around the lake that have enjoyed the "no wake lake" that is Minnetonka this year. Yes, many lakeside businesses have suffered economically.

But paddle boarders, kayakers and canoeists and sailors have thrived in the low wake environment. Lake-shore homeowners and visitors have enjoyed peace and quiet like never before.

How about a "no wake day" once a week going forward? Maybe on Wednesday's? Maybe we can take a weather-driven "emergency" and turn it into a lasting improvement in quality of life on Lake Minnetonka and the greater Land of 10,000 lakes?

Forecast: Drier pattern emerging?

We've logged 5.89 inches of rain at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport since June 19.

Rain returns to the forecast as early as Thursday evening, but the overall trend looks much drier the next two to three weeks.

Here's the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's 16-day rainfall outlook for the Twin Cities from its Global Forecast System. If it verifies, or even runs double the .69-inch output, lakes and rivers will continue to fall over the next two to three weeks.

The next weather maker moving into Minnesota Thursday evening will spawn a few more showers and thunder storms but precipitation totals look manageable.

The heaviest rains will likely fall in Iowa the next seven days, with most of Minnesota coming in (well?) under an inch.

The weekend still looks like a split decision. Saturday looks like the sunnier drier day of the weekend right now, with chances for showers increasing Sunday. Summer polar vortex spins in from Ontario early next week with temps as much as 15-20 degrees below average Monday and Tuesday.

What a year!