Yesterday I woke up and looked out my window, expecting to see a sunny day. Instead the sky was the color of cold, curdled oatmeal; a canopy of gray overhead. It was smoke from Canadian wildfires. You could taste it. Like licking an ashtray, which I don’t recommend.
Minnesota is directly downwind of massive wildfires that have forced more than 18,000 Canadians from their homes. According to CNN the fires have burned more than 1.56 million acres, 40% above the 10-year average for this point in the year. Climate Central says temperatures over Manitoba and Saskatchewan have been running 12-24 degrees warmer than average in late May, thanks to a nearly stationary bubble of unusually warm, dry air. The trends show a correlation between early Canadian heat and more wildfires. More symptoms of a warming planet.
Smoke aside, enough filtered sun is expected for 80s this weekend, maybe 90 degrees on Monday before nearly an inch of rain arrives Tuesday.
Temps in the 70s return later next week. No heat waves, just an early taste of July.
