Even a mother deer and her fawn enjoyed the nice weather. I took this photo at Quarry Trails Metro Park this morning.
The 614cast
Wednesday’s tl;dr
☀️ Lots of sunshine, high in the lower to middle 80s.
Forecast highlights
⬆️ Warmer the rest of the week
Tuesday was one of those days that you wish you could bottle up and save for whenever… low humidity, comfy temps, plentiful sunshine. Hard to beat that.
Wednesday’s still going to be pretty darn good, though. Sure, it’ll be warmer with just a touch more humidity, but it’s still going to be a winner considering we’re approaching mid-June. Highs climb into the middle to upper 80s Thursday and Friday, about five degrees above normal. The warmth will be accompanied by somewhat muggier air, too — dew points will be similar to last weekend.
💧 Unsettled weekend
While we could have a stray shower or storm already Friday evening, odds favor stuff holding off until the weekend itself. It won’t be a full weekend washout, but if you have outdoor plans, I recommend having an indoor backup in mind.
With a frontal system wobbling around the region and tapping into increased moisture, I wouldn’t be surprised if we get some local downpours. Other than that, severe weather looks unlikely.
📊 Wednesday’s almanac
Normal low/high: 61 / 81
Record low/high: 35 (1972) / 95 (2016)
Sunrise/set: 6:02 a.m. / 9:00 p.m.
🌕 Full Strawberry Moon
A full moon will shine on us tonight, reaching its fullest at 3:44 a.m. Wednesday morning.
The June full moon is commonly called the Strawberry Moon. According to NASA:
The name “Full Strawberry Moon” originated from the Algonquin tribes in the northeastern United States. This full moon occurred during the month of June when strawberries were ripening and ready to be harvested.
Sky & Telescope Magazine notes that the Ojibwe and other indigenous tribes called it this, as well. Other Native American names for the June full moon include Gardening Moon, Flowering Moon, and River Moon.
The June full moon is the lowest one of the year. That’s because the full moon looms opposite the sun, which is highest in the sky on the summer solstice. This month’s will also be the lowest since 2006, thanks to an 18.6-year cycle related to the tilt of both the Earth and the moon’s orbit. We’re currently in a period that’s known as a “major lunar standstill.”
Tonight’s full moon might actually have a slight reddish hue to it, primarily close to moonrise or moonset, if enough wildfire smoke remains over our region.