Pleasant Saturday, rain chance Sunday; Perseids at peak
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We'll have some nice weather in Minnesota this weekend, but some of us will also see some rain.
Saturday looks like the most pleasant day of the weekend, although some scattered showers and thunderstorms could move into west-central and southwestern Minnesota Saturday afternoon and Saturday evening.
Sunday rain chance
There could be some showers and thunderstorms at times on Sunday and Sunday evening in about the southern two-thirds of Minnesota.
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The best chance of thunderstorms in eastern Minnesota and the Twin Cities metro area would be Sunday afternoon and evening.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's North American Mesoscale forecast model shows the potential rain pattern from 2 a.m. Sunday through Sunday evening:
The color chart to the right of the loop refers to the strength of the signal that returns to the radar, not to the amount of rain.
Severe weather outlook
The Storm Prediction Center of the National Weather Service has part of Minnesota in their general (non-severe) thunderstorm category Sunday and Sunday night:
An isolated severe thunderstorm is possible in the marginal risk area that covers parts of South Dakota.
Temperature trends
Saturday highs should be mostly in the 70s across Minnesota:
I wouldn't be surprised if a few spots in the Twin Cities metro area touch 80 degrees.
Sunday highs will be mostly in the 70s:
Looking ahead, Twin Cities metro area highs are expected to be in the upper 70s on Monday, then lower 80s Tuesday and Wednesday.
Our average high this time of year is 81 degrees in the Twin Cities.
Perseids are peaking this weekend
If you like to watch meteor showers, you're in luck this weekend.
According to the folks at Sky & Telescope:
The Perseid meteor shower, visible from the Northern Hemisphere, should be at its maximum late tonight and late Saturday night. The waning gibbous Moon will light the sky starting in mid-evening, but the brightest meteors will still shine through. You may see one every couple minutes on average, depending on the brightness and clarity of your sky.
Look to the northeast to see the meteors.
Sky & Telescope has a Perseid viewing guide.
According to space.com:
A typical Perseid meteoroid (which is what they're called while in space) moves at 133,200 mph (214,365 kph) when it hits Earth's atmosphere (and then they are called meteors). Most of the Perseids are tiny, about the size of a sand grain. Peak activity is about 60 meteors per hour, according to NASA. Almost none hit the ground, but if one does, it's called a meteorite.
Programming note
You can hear my live weather updates on Minnesota Public Radio at 7:49 a.m. Thursdays and Fridays, and at 7:35 a.m., 9:35 a.m. and 4:35 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday.