Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Soaker: Rainfall totals adding up for southern half of Minnesota

Half to one inch of rainfall at many locations including Twin Cities

Rain gauge at the Weather Lab showing nearly 1 inch of rainfall
Rain gauge at the Weather Lab showing nearly 1 inch of rainfall
Paul Huttner/MPR News

You can turn your irrigation system off for a few more days. Most of central and southern Minnesota picked up another soaking free lawn watering Thursday.

Our steady all-day rainfall is adding up to an inch of rain in some locations. Here at the weather lab in the southwest Twin Cities, my rain gauge is brimful with nearly an inch of rain so far.

Basically, the rain zone runs south of Brainerd, Minn. into Iowa.

Here are some select rainfall totals around central and southern Minnesota as of 3 p.m. Thursday:

  • St. Cloud: 0.5 inches

  • Redwood Falls: 0.5 inches

  • Hutchinson: 0.8 inches

  • Rochester: 0.87 inches

  • MSP Airport: 0.87 inches

  • Victoria: 0.93 inches

Here’s a look at rainfall reports from weather stations around southern Minnesota via Weather Underground. Rainfall totals can vary locally over just a few miles.

Radar and rainfall totals Thursday afternoon
Radar and rainfall totals Thursday afternoon
NOAA via Weather Underground

Rain fades overnight

What’s left of the extensive rain shield will gradually drift south and east overnight. Expect light rain and drizzle to move out of southern Minnesota Friday morning. NOAA’s NAM 3 km resolution model paints the trend.

NOAA NAM 3 km model through 7 am Friday
NOAA NAM 3 km model through 7 am Friday
NOAA via tropical tidbits

Expect a return to sunshine Friday.