Isolated weekend showers; warmer and drier pattern next week

The weather maps are finally favoring a drier weather pattern for Minnesota in the next week. We’ll have to get through a few isolated thundershowers this weekend, but the trend for the next 10 days looks promising for drier skies.

This weekend brings a mix of sun and a few clouds with isolated thundershowers that will cover less area than in previous weeks.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s FV3 model shows the trend of more spotty downpours with a few thunderclaps from Saturday afternoon into Sunday. The forecast model loop below runs between 1 p.m. Saturday and 7 p.m. Sunday.

Highs this weekend will run mostly in the 70s across Minnesota:

Monday and Tuesday bring spotty showers with about a 30-percent chance for rain in any one location.

By the way, when the National Weather Service issues precipitation forecasts they mean that there’s say a 30-percent chance of measurable precipitation — one-hundredth of an inch or more — in any one location. It’s called a point forecast.

Highs Monday and Tuesday will run a few degrees warmer with 80s covering more of Minnesota.

Warmer and drier pattern ahead

We could use a couple of weeks of drought in Minnesota this summer. We’ll finally dry out and warm up later next week.

The jet stream will lift north into Canada and a warm done of high pressure will amplify over the central U.S.

NOAA’s Global Forecast System model shows the trend beginning later next week:

Highs by next weekend could finally reach the 90s around much of Minnesota. NOAA’s 8 to 14-day outlook strongly favors warmer-than-normal temperatures as we move deeper into July:

The six to 10-day precipitation outlook favors drier weather for the Upper Midwest:

The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts model is printing out less than an inch of rain for most of Minnesota in the next 10 days!

True summer is about to arrive in Minnesota.

Finally.