Free AC now, but warmest summer in 3 years?

Kill the AC. Throw open those windows.

Fresh northwest breezes continue today as a cooler Canadian air mass slides south into Minnesota. The welcome respite comes after a steamy weekend that pushed heat index values into the rare 110F to 115F range Saturday afternoon. Scattered severe storms capped the intense heat burst late Saturday.

So far, this summer is on pace to be the hottest summer in three years. We've already surpassed the past two summers on the 90-degree day tally, with July and August (the hottest two months of the year) just ahead.

Enjoy the cooler breezes this week. The long range maps hint at another hot front by mid-July. The early Fourth of July preview suggests mid-80s with a dash of humidity.

• +3.4 degrees June temperatures vs. average so far at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport

• 96 degrees Saturday at MSP was hottest day in nearly three years (MSP hit 97 on Aug. 26, 2013)

• 5 days at or above 90 degrees so far this year at MSP

• 4 days of 90 degree heat in 2015

• 2 days of 90 degree heat in 2014

• 11 days of 90 degree heat on average each year at MSP (30-year average)

Severe Saturday

Severe storms Saturday focused primarily on northern and central Minnesota downing trees and dumping heavy rain and large hail before grazing the northern Twin Cities metro. Here's the local storm report tally from the Duluth National Weather Service office.

Here's a great 3D visualization of Saturday's rapidly developing storms in central Minnesota.

The bulging bow-shaped line of storms packed large hail and damaging winds from Brainerd, Minn., to near Duluth and south to the northern metro.

Hottest day in almost 3 years

It's rare to see heat index values hit 110F to 115F in the Twin Cities. This is what you felt like Saturday afternoon.

Free AC

Our cooler northwest flow lasts through midweek as a bubble of cooler Canadian high pressure drifts overhead. Spotty showers gather to the west by Wednesday.

High in the 60s and 70s? Many of us will take the spring-like relapse for a few days. The 90s are shoved south of a line from Des Moines, Iowa, to Chicago for now.

Mostly dry through the Fourth of July?

The latest model trends suggest a mostly dry pattern through the Fourth of July. Spotty rain and thunder chances arrive Thursday and Saturday. Here's the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts model forecast meteogram into next week. Celsius/Fahrenheit temperature conversions here.

Mid-July heat wave?

The longer range maps suggest Minnesota may be grazed by the northern edge of a building heat dome over the Midwest after the Fourth of July.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's 16-day Global Forecast System model cranks out at least three more 90 degree days in the next two weeks.

Stay tuned, and enjoy the free AC this week.