Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Summery Saturday, temps retreat on Sunday; thunder chances in some areas

10th anniversary of the North Minneapolis tornado

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Friday in Minnetonka
Ron Trenda/MPR News

You might have been dreaming of summery warmth during the coldest days of winter. That warmth is here!

Saturday highs will be in the 80s across much of Minnesota and western Wisconsin. High temps near Lake Superior may be in the 70s, and parts of northwestern Minnesota will top out in the 60s and 70s. Much of Minnesota and western Wisconsin will have Saturday afternoon dew points in the sticky 60s.

Rain and thunder chances?

Northwestern Minnesota has seen some areas of showers and thunderstorms this morning. West-central Minnesota and roughly the northern third of Minnesota could see scattered showers and thunderstorms this Saturday afternoon and evening. The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center shows a marginal risk (shaded dark green) of severe weather today and tonight in west-central Minnesota and in roughly the northern third of Minnesota:

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Severe weather outlook Saturday and Saturday night
NWS Storm Prediction Center

Marginal risk means that an isolated severe t-storm is possible. The Storm Prediction Center will update the severe weather outlook later this morning and also this afternoon.

You can hear updated weather information for Minnesota and western Wisconsin on the Minnesota Public Radio network, and you can see updated weather info on the MPR News live weather blog.

Cooler north on Sunday

Sunday highs will range from the 40s in northeastern Minnesota to the 80s in far southwestern Minnesota:

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Sunday forecast highs
National Weather Service

The metro area will have Sunday highs in the 70s.

Sticky dew points linger in southern Minnesota Sunday afternoon:

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Sunday 1 p.m. forecast dew points
National Weather Service

Sunday thunder chances

Unsettled weather is on tap for Sunday, with occasional showers and thunderstorms possible in Minnesota and western Wisconsin.

SPC shows a marginal risk of severe weather Sunday and Sunday night in the dark-green shaded areas of central and southern Minnesota into western Wisconsin:

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Severe weather outlook for Sunday morning through Sunday night
NWS Storm Prediction Center

Temperature trends

Twin Cities metro area highs are projected to reach the mid 80s Monday, followed by lower 80s Tuesday, mid 70s Wednesday and around 70 on Thursday and Friday. Comfortable dew points arrive on Tuesday and linger for several days.

10th anniversary of the 2011 North Minneapolis tornado

A tornado hit parts of North Minneapolis on May 22, 2011. The Twin Cities NWS has posted details of the tornado, which occurred 10 years ago:

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May 22, 2011 tornado in North Minneapolis
National Weather Service

The Minnesota State Climatology office also has a summary of the tornado of May 22, 2011, including these facts:

The majority of the damage came from mature trees being uprooted and falling on houses and vehicles. Tragically, one man lost his life when a tree fell on his vehicle in North Minneapolis.

As mentioned in the NWS item, another man died during the cleanup after the storm. The linked NWS site also has a map of the May 22, 2011 tornado track.

Programming note

You can hear my live weather updates on MPR News at 7:35 a.m., 9:35 a.m. and 4:39 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday.