Second wettest year on record so far; 'perfect' start to State Fair?

Over 30 inches of precipitation so far this year in the Twin Cities

It’s not you imagination.

This is one of the wettest years on record in the Twin Cities and much of southern Minnesota. 2019 is the second wettest year on record to date in the Twin Cities. The graph below shows precipitation through Monday.

2019 precipitation
2019 precipitation
Twin Cities National Weather Service

Tuesday’s thunderstorms dumped another .71 inch of rain at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. That puts the yearly precipitation total at 30.35 inches. We’ve now nearly reached the average annual precipitation of 30.61 inches for the Twin Cities — on Aug. 20.

Welcome dry spell

A fresh northwest breeze blows through Minnesota overnight into Wednesday. Dew points fall into the comfortable 50s once again. The forecast looks sunny and rain-free through Saturday. A four-day break in rainfall will be welcome for many Minnesotans, including farmers.

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NOAA temperature forecast
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration temperature forecast
NOAA via Weather Bell

Perfect State Fair opener?

Ask 10 Minnesotans what “perfect weather” is and you’ll get 10 different answers. Thursday’s forecast is arguably close to perfect for opening day forecast at the Minnesota State Fair.

Highs in the 70s with dew points in the 50s? Where’s the nearest food booth?

NOAA high temperature forecast for Minneapolis Thursday
NOAA high temperature forecast for Minneapolis Thursday
NOAA

I would not be shocked to hear about near-record opening-day crowds Thursday.

Storms look likely to return by Saturday night and Sunday. Right now Saturday looks like the sunnier, drier day of the weekend.

Stay tuned.