A summery Monday; rain chances return Tuesday into Wednesday

It was a pleasant Sunday, and we're still mosquito-free!

We'll have a mixed bag of weather this week.

Temperature trends

Monday will be downright summery, with highs in the lower 80s in parts of Minnesota, including the Twin Cities metro area:

Places that don't see lower 80s will top out in the 70s, which is still warm for early May.

Our average high temperature in the Twin Cities is only 67 degrees this time of year.

Twin Cities metro area highs are expected to reach the lower 70s on Tuesday, then retreat to the upper 60s for Wednesday and Thursday.  One forecast model is showing upper 50s for our metro high temp on Friday. We'll see if that changes as we get closer to Friday.

Rain chances increase

Western Minnesota could see showers as early as Tuesday morning.  Eastern Minnesota and the Twin Cities metro area will have a chance of showers Tuesday afternoon, with a good chance of some periods of rain Tuesday night into Wednesday.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's North American Mesoscale forecast model shows the potential rain pattern Tuesday through Wednesday;

Forecasting rain amounts several days in advance is dicey, but the NAM model shows the highest rain totals in parts of northwestern Minnesota, with one-half inch to one inch possible in the metro area:

Additional rain is possible Thursday night and Friday.

Fire weather

Warm temperatures and low relative humidity levels are expected Monday afternoon, and fire weather conditions will be elevated over the Twin Cities metro area and much of Minnesota:

Special Weather Statement

National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN

307 PM CDT Sun May 6 2018

MNZ041>045-047>070-073>075-WIZ014>016-023>025-027-070900-

Douglas-Todd-Morrison-Mille Lacs-Kanabec-Stevens-Pope-Stearns-

Benton-Sherburne-Isanti-Chisago-Lac Qui Parle-Swift-Chippewa-

Kandiyohi-Meeker-Wright-Hennepin-Anoka-Ramsey-Washington-

Yellow Medicine-Renville-McLeod-Sibley-Carver-Scott-Dakota-

Redwood-Brown-Nicollet-Polk-Barron-Rusk-St. Croix-Pierce-Dunn-

Including the cities of Alexandria, Long Prairie, Little Falls,

Princeton, Mora, Morris, Glenwood, St Cloud, Foley, Elk River,

Cambridge, Center City, Madison, Benson, Montevideo, Willmar,

Litchfield, Monticello, Minneapolis, Blaine, St Paul, Stillwater,

Granite Falls, Olivia, Hutchinson, Gaylord, Chaska, Shakopee,

Hastings, Redwood Falls, New Ulm, St Peter, Osceola, Rice Lake,

Ladysmith, Hudson, River Falls, Prescott, Menomonie,

and Chippewa Falls

307 PM CDT Sun May 6 2018

...ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS MONDAY AFTERNOON

FOR PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL, CENTRAL, EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA, AND

WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN...

Due to the very dry vegetation across the portions of Minnesota,

and west central Wisconsin this month, and the continued dry

weather pattern, there will be elevated fire weather conditions

developing Monday afternoon. These elevated fire weather

conditions are due to the dry vegetation, combined with low

humidity levels, and an increasing west-southwest wind Monday

afternoon. Please use caution burning and refer to any burning

restrictions for your county.

You can check with the Minnesota DNR for any burning restrictions.

I hope that you have a great week!