Summery Saturday; PM severe weather risk highest in western and central Minnesota
Fall color update for leaf-peepers
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This will be a summery Saturday. Highs will reach the upper 70s across most of southern and central Minnesota plus western Wisconsin Saturday afternoon. A few spots, including the Twin Cities, could touch 80. That’s warm; our average Oct. 9 high is 62 degrees in the Twin Cities.
Thunderstorm chances increase
Showers and thunderstorms will become more numerous in western Minnesota as we go through Saturday afternoon. The showers/t-storms spread eastward late Saturday afternoon and Saturday evening/overnight. The Twin Cities metro area could see an isolated shower or thunderstorm late Saturday afternoon, then shower and thunderstorm chances increase from Saturday evening into the overnight hours of Saturday night.
Severe weather risk
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The NWS Storm Prediction Center shows a slight risk of severe weather Saturday afternoon and Saturday evening/overnight on parts of western and central Minnesota. Slight risk means that scattered severe thunderstorms are possible, and the slight risk area is shaded yellow in the following NWS graphic:
The dark-green shaded area, which includes the Twin Cities, has a marginal risk of severe weather; meaning that an isolated severe thunderstorm is possible.
Here’s the severe weather discussion for northeastern Minnesota and northern Wisconsin, from the Duluth office of the NWS:
You can hear updated weather information for Minnesota and western Wisconsin on the Minnesota Public Radio News network, and you can see updated weather info on the MPR News live weather blog.
Fall color report
The percentage of changeover to fall colors is highest in the northern half of Minnesota plus the northeastern part of the Twin Cities metro area right now. Here’s the latest fall color report from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources:
The dark-red shaded areas in northern Minnesota are past peak. Keep in mind that all deciduous trees are included in the fall color report, not just maples.
Wisconsin fall color info can be found here.
Temperature trends
Sunday highs will be in the 60s to the north and west. Highs in the 70s are expected from the Twin Cities metro area through southeastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin:
Sunday afternoon dew points will be mainly in the 50s:
Back to high temperatures, Twin Cities metro area highs are projected to reach the upper 60s Monday and Tuesday, then mid 60s on Wednesday. Cooler temps move in to end the week, with highs in the lower 60s Thursday and upper 50s on Friday.
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.