Currently in the Twin Cities — June 30, 2023: Very warm, a few clouds Friday

The weather, currently.

This June will go down as the third hottest in the Twin Cities. This is particularly remarkable given that just two years ago, June of 2021 was the second hottest. This means that four of the top 10 hottest Junes have just been in the last 35 years, despite making up only 23% of the record. The latest drought monitor shows drought also unchanged thanks to the hot month, despite recent rains. It appears the rainfall the past week merely prevented drought from expanding. We’re in for a hot and dry weekend with highs near 90 and into the 90s Monday. The next thunder chance doesn’t come until Tuesday.

— Sven Sundgaard

What you can do, currently.

Currently is entirely member funded, and right now we need your support!

Our annual summer membership drive is underway — with a goal to double our membership base over the next six weeks which will guarantee this service can continue throughout this year’s hurricane season. We’ll need 739 new members by July 31 to make this goal happen.

If these emails mean something important to you — and more importantly, if the idea of being part of a community that’s building a weather service for the climate emergency means something important to you — please chip in just $5 a month to continue making this service possible.

Thank you!!

What you need to know, currently.

For the first time in nearly four years, the state of Colorado is drought-free.

Last May, drought covered more than 93% of the state. That number is now down to 0%, according to the latest Drought Monitor. This is great news for a state that has defined the western drought for decades, complete with wintertime wildfires, decimated snowpack, and a plunging Colorado River.

The turnaround is not without its downsides, of course. Waves of severe weather, hailstorms, and flooding have struck the Denver metro area in recent weeks with more than 200% of normal rainfall so far this year.

The next three years are critical for the future trajectory of Colorado, and of the entire Colorado River basin, as federal officials have begun a process to renegotiate with states on new rules governing water use over 250,000 square miles (650,000 sq km).

In the future, large scale rewilding efforts to reintroduce wolves, beavers, and other keystone species of healthy wetlands in the Rocky Mountains show promise if coupled with efforts to phase out water-intensive industrial-scale agriculture and ranching in these sensitive areas.

—Eric Holthaus