After a period of cold weather nine days ago, temperatures have climbed back up to average.
Today marks the sixth day since my rain gauge last measured any precipitation. Despite a large amount of rain on the 12th, we really could use some more - the topsoil is drying out quickly.
I grabbed a quick picture from the flower garden this morning (to the right). I'm fuzzy on the specifics of irises, so I'm not sure which flavor this one is... besides being purple and white.
Weather station data from the last two weeks.
The top graph (to the left) displays my measured high and low temperatures with dashed lines of average highs and lows. The bottom graph shows recent rainfall amounts.
A tremendous dip in high temperatures is apparent on Wednesday, June 11th, when my high temperature reached only 47.3 degrees.
I believe this would be a record low temperature for the date. Here's the semi-official data from Ashland's airport (KASX), the nearest ASOS:
Record Low Maximum Temp: 50 degrees in 1967 Measured Maximum Temp: 48 degrees
NWS Duluth doesn't keep track of climatological data from northwest Wisconsin so this did not make any headlines or statements. However, it looks like a record in my archives.
Rain & storm chances increase today.
It's not a huge increase, but 30% is higher than the last week of nothing.
The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has outline most of Minnesota, all of Wisconsin, and the western portion of the UP of Michigan in a SLIGHT risk of severe thunderstorms today (to the right).
The SPC's Observerd Soundings page shows forecast Lifted Indexes (LI) in Minneapolis and Green Bay are -4 and in International Falls -0.
The Lifted Index Scale:
2 to 0: Showers probable, isolated thunderstorms possible. 0 to -2: Thunderstorms probable. -2 to -4: Severe thunderstorms possible.
The K Index at Green Bay is forecast to be 32, which shows that thunderstorms may be more widespread than at Minneapolis where the K Index is forecast to be 21. A higher number may indicate higher convection potential.
Enough of the indexes show a favorable environment for scattered or isolated thunderstorms, a few of which could be come strong enough to reach the severe criteria threshold, namely some hail above 0.75" in diameter and wind gusts above 58 mph, before the convection weakens after sunset.
Some fox kits not too far from Maple Hill.
A fox den was spotted on a nearby road earlier this spring, and now people have been stopping to get a glimpse of the furballs (to the left).
Unfortunately, the Ashland Daily Press reports that one of the kits was killed last week. A DNR investigation found that the kit was hit by a car.
I've driven by the den and have seen people behaving as if the foxes were in a zoo - making a ton of noise, parking only 20 feet from the den, leaving sandwiches for the kits, and generally acting like the paparazzi. The public has forgotten that these are wild animals that need to be left alone to survive. Hopefully, the death of a kit will remind people to BACK OFF!!!
Weather station data from the last two weeks. 
Rain & storm chances increase today. 
Some fox kits not too far from Maple Hill.