By DJ Kayser, filling in for Douglas:
Meteorological summer ended last Saturday. At MSP Airport, the three-month period ended up slightly below average in the temperature realm (71.7 degrees F, which is 0.2 F below average). Only seven days have been at or above 90 this year, while we typically average 12.6. Now, for the obligatory "it could always be worse," Phoenix just had its 100th consecutive day at or above 100 degrees on Tuesday.
Oh, and speaking of summer, it was the seventh-wettest on record at MSP, with 18.25 inches. We can't forget that it rained.
A lot. Forty-one days had at least 0.01 inches of rain — tied for the third-most rainy days on record in June through August.
Today, a lingering shower or storm is possible early with Canadian wildfire smoke mixed in before skies clear out. The main story into the weekend, though, will be the cooler air moving in. Highs in the metro will be in the 60s Friday and Saturday before rebounding to the 80s next week. During the past 30 years, we've averaged 10 days with a high below 70 in September, so this isn't atypical — more a sign that our warm days are numbered.
