* A few PM showers, possible thunder for the Edina Art Fair and Grand Old Days in St. Paul. Take something waterproof for the PM hours (but it probably won't rain as long or as hard as it did yesterday).
O.K. You got out of mowing the lawn, right? Trying to put a positive spin on today, but it's the meteorological equivalent of trying to sugar-coat a turd. My apologies if you had (outdoor) plans for the morning hours. What happened? Why are Minnesota meteorologists (myself included) dining on a fine crow-souffle? A frontal boundary stalled out over southern Minnesota, a wave of low pressure rippled east along this boundary, throwing up a (rare) shield of heavier, steadier rain across central and southern Minnesota - the kind of feature you'd expect to see in early April or mid October, but June? This time of year the only thing that can generate an all-day washout is a stalled front, and frankly, we were all caught with our Dopplers down. No excuses; such a "busted" forecast is almost acceptable on a Tuesday or Thursday, but on a Saturday? Inexcusable. I should be bull-whipped, tarred and feathered, forced to watch reruns of "Wake up with Al (Roker)" for hours on end, my Doppler privileges rescinded until further notice.

It's a humbling profession - just about the time you think you have Minnesota Weather figured out, Mother Nature delivers a firm, swift kick. I get it - 12 (precious) weekends during a fleeting Minnesota summer - every one is a gift. People take it personally when it rains (hard) on a weekend, especially when the rain was underestimated and plans were made. We had showers in the forecast for the afternoon hours, but I was mildly horrified (and humbled) by the sheer extent and duration of the rain. Ugh....
I schlepped around the Edina Art Fair much of Saturday, rubbing elbows (and soggy umbrellas) with hundreds (thousands?) of brave souls who weren't about to let a little rain ruin the fun. I was impressed with the turn-out, in spite of the weather conditions, which were pretty foul, a cold, hard, steady rain. "Better than last year," one artist mused, motioning up at a threatening sky. An optimist. Other running commentary: "Paul, fix it.....Paul, make it stop! Paul, I moved to Naples, Florida to get away from this, and to get away from YOU!" I think he was kidding, but I'm not absolutely sure. Tough crowd.
Hey, better than hail, tornadoes, snow (it has been known to snow up north in early June) and random oil spills, at least it was in the 60s, in spite of the long, cool soaking it didn't feel that bad out there. We've just been spoiled: second warmest spring on record, a string of unusually sunny, mild days (and weekends). We've been pampered for the better part of March, April, May and early June. O.K. It rained on a Saturday - we should just deal with it, get caught up on errands and indoor activities (picking up a book or a newspaper?) and just grin and bear it, 'cause we all know that the odds of a similar washout (today) are slim to 'nil.

Today won't win any awards for beauty and splendor, but it should be an improvement. Pretty much ANYTHING would be an improvement over yesterday's gully-gushing, windshield-splattering soaking. .20 to .30" of rain fell in the Twin Cities, .40" from Austin and Windom to Madison. Amounts dropped off farther north and west, with .1" of rain at St. Cloud, .02" at Brainerd and NO RAIN in Bagley and Bemidji. Highs barely reached 70 in the metro area, about 10 degrees cooler than normal, thanks to thick clouds and steady rain, which can keep readings 10-20 degrees cooler than they would be on an otherwise sunny, dry day. At least the sun came out by late afternoon - treating us all to a beautiful evening, and a well-deserved sunset. The day wasn't a total loss, but close.
Turn the page. Time to look ahead, see if we can salvage part of our weekend. There should be some sun during the morning/midday hours, the atmosphere still relatively stable. But a steep "lapse rate" (temperatures falling faster with altitude than typical) should leave the sky unstable by afternoon, capable of another swarm of showers and T-storms - not a steady soaker like we muddled through yesterday - I pray.
We get a brief break on Monday (more sun, highs in the low/mid 70s) before the next round of showers arrives Monday night and Tuesday, maybe another .10 to .20" of rain. A weak bubble of high pressure clears us out (temporarily) Wednesday and part of Thursday before a surge of hot, sticky air arrives - this next warm front sparks a few random T-storms from late Thursday into Saturday, in fact a few storms may be strong to severe, especially Friday and Saturday. It's too early to try to get specific - just know that by the end of this week it will definitely feel like summer again, highs well up in the 80s, dew points in the 60s - neighbors whining about beastly humidity levels. There are some signs it may cool off and dry out a bit for Sunday as the front shifts east, but that's pure speculation at this point. Enjoy the break from heat and humidity, and get out (early) or risk being chased indoors by a fickle, more summerlike shower or T-storm by mid afternoon. Ah, spring in Minnesota. Blink. Sneeze. Hiccup. Look away for an instant and the sky overhead will change. Count on it.













Paul's SC Times Outlook for St. Cloud and all of central Minnesota
Today: Partly sunny, better than yesterday. Showers likely by afternoon, even a passing T-storm. Winds: NW 15-25. High: near 70
Sunday night: Evening showers, then slow clearing late. Low: 52
Monday: More sun, probably dry. High: 71
Tuesday: Unsettled, another round of showers, possible thunder. High: near 70
Wednesday: Plenty of sun, possibly the best day of the week? High: 76
Thursday: Less sun, more humidity - risk of a passing T-storm. High: 79
Friday: Windy and warm with hazy sun - a few strong T-storms possible. High: 83
Saturday: Sticky and warm with scattered T-storms, some strong to potentially severe. High: 81
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