Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Shower/thunderstorm chances continue Sunday; flash flood watch SE Minn. into Wis.

Temps rebound a bit

We have areas of morning showers and thunderstorms in central and southern Minnesota plus west-central and southwestern Wisconsin. The shower and thunderstorm activity is expected to become more spotty Sunday afternoon.

Parts of southeastern Minnesota and portions of west-central and southwestern Wisconsin saw heavy rain yesterday and additional rain today could cause flash flooding. A flash flood watch (shaded green) covers much of that area this Sunday and Sunday night, expiring at 1 a.m. Monday:

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Flash flood watch (shaded green) until 1 a.m. Monday
National Weather Service

Here are details of the watch:

Flood Watch National Weather Service La Crosse WI 326 AM CDT Sun Aug 8 2021 IAZ010-011-MNZ079-087-088-095-096-WIZ029-032>034-041>044-053>055- 081630- /O.EXT.KARX.FF.A.0001.000000T0000Z-210809T0600Z/ /00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/ Winneshiek-Allamakee-Wabasha-Olmsted-Winona-Fillmore-Houston-Clark- Buffalo-Trempealeau-Jackson-La Crosse-Monroe-Juneau-Adams-Vernon- Crawford-Richland- Including the cities of Arcadia, Richland Center, Rochester, Waukon, Neillsville, Whitehall, Friendship, Preston, Sparta, Prairie Du Chien, Viroqua, La Crosse, Winona, Decorah, Black River Falls, Tomah, Caledonia, Wabasha, Mauston, and Alma 326 AM CDT Sun Aug 8 2021 ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH NOW IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT... The Flash Flood Watch is now in effect for * Portions of northeast Iowa, southeast Minnesota and Wisconsin, including the following areas, in northeast Iowa, Allamakee and Winneshiek. In southeast Minnesota, Fillmore, Houston, Olmsted, Wabasha and Winona. In Wisconsin, Adams, Buffalo, Clark, Crawford, Jackson, Juneau, La Crosse, Monroe, Richland, Trempealeau and Vernon. * Through late tonight. * Heavy rainfall over the past 24 hours has resulted in saturated soils. Additional rounds of rain are expected into tonight, with high rainfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour possible with any storms. The rainfall could quickly result in flash flooding in these areas. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.

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.

Severe weather outlook

A few strong to severe thunderstorms are possible today. The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center shows a slight risk (shaded yellow) of severe weather Sunday and Sunday night in portions of Wisconsin, with a marginal risk of severe weather (dark green) in parts of southern Minnesota, the Twin Cities metro area and west-central Wisconsin:

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Severe weather outlook Sunday and Sunday night
NWS Storm Prediction Center

Marginal risk means that an isolated severe thunderstorm is possible.

Temps rebound

Highs reach the 80s today across most of Minnesota:

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Sunday forecast highs
National Weather Service

There will be some 70s in western Wisconsin and upper 60s near the North Shore of Lake Superior.

Sunday dew points will be in the steamy 70s in the south, with sticky 60s to the north:

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

This Updraft blog will be updated around 10:20 a.m. with an updated look at Sunday, plus a peek at the week ahead.

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.