Cool Sunday and to start the week, temps rebound nicely Thursday & Friday

This is a great time of year, with colorful blossoms on many trees. Although it’s cool today, the weather will cooperate with most outdoor plans. A brief passing sprinkle is possible in Minnesota and western Wisconsin.

Sunday afternoon highs will be in the 50s across much of Minnesota and western Wisconsin. A few spots in the Twin Cities metro area and southeastern Minnesota could touch 60 degrees. For reference, our average Twin Cities high temp is 71 degrees this time of year.

Low temps late Sunday night and early Monday morning are forecast to reach the 30s in roughly the northern half of Minnesota plus western Wisconsin:

When winds are light, the temperature near the ground can be several degrees colder than the official temp which is measured 5 feet above the ground. Frost advisories may be needed overnight in the coldest areas.

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.

Temperature trends

Monday highs will reach the 60s in most areas, with a few upper 50s in parts of northeastern Minnesota:

Twin Cities metro area highs are projected to be in the mid 60s Monday and Tuesday, then around 60 degrees on Wednesday, followed by 70 Thursday and mid 70s on Friday.

Wednesday looks like the rainiest day this coming week, but we could also see a few showers late on Tuesday. Check updates.

June outlook

The June temperature outlook from the NWS Climate Prediction Center shows equal chances of above normal or below normal temps for most of Minnesota and western Wisconsin:

Even if our June temps average out close to normal, it will be enjoyable; our average Twin Cities high temp goes from 75 degrees on June 1 to 83 degrees on June 30. 

Flood update

Flood warnings (shaded green on the following three maps) continue along several rivers in Minnesota, including the Rainy River Basin of northeastern Minnesota:

Here are details on the Rainy River Basin flood warning in northeastern Minnesota:

Flood Statement National Weather Service Duluth MN 304 PM CDT Sat May 21 2022 MNC071-075-137-252200- /O.CON.KDLH.FA.W.0011.000000T0000Z-220525T2200Z/ /00000.0.RS.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/ Koochiching MN-Lake MN-St. Louis MN- 304 PM CDT Sat May 21 2022 ...FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM CDT WEDNESDAY... * WHAT...Flooding caused by rain and snowmelt is occurring. Namakan Lake has already surpassed the level reached in the 2014 flood and is continuing to rise. Rainy Lake is expected to exceed the 2014 level. * WHERE...Portions of north central Minnesota and northeast Minnesota, including the following counties, in north central Minnesota, Koochiching. In northeast Minnesota, Lake and St. Louis. * WHEN...Until 500 PM CDT Wednesday. * IMPACTS...Lake level rises are ongoing. Flooding continues on areas lakes and rivers. Widespread impacts are ongoing for shoreline residents. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - At 301 PM CDT, Emergency management reported ongoing flooding across the warned area. - Lake inflows are slowing for Crane Lake, Kabetogama Lake and Namakan Lake. However... inflows still exceed outflows so rises will continue... especially on Rainy Lake. Lake levels on Namakan Lake are expected to rise 6 to 7 inches through May 27th with continued rises thereafter. Namakan Lake inflows are expected to decline but remain high for the remainder of the month. Rainy Lake is expected to rise 12 inches through May 27th. The 2014 level on Rainy Lake will be exceeded early this week and rises will continue at a slower rate beyond the 7 day forecast. Expect minimal rainfall amounts over the next 7 days. - Areas affected include Rainer, Island View, Voyageurs National Park, Crane Lake, Kabetogama Lake and Lake Vermilion. - http://www.weather.gov/dlh/RainyRiverBasin PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Turn around, don`t drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. Use extreme caution if venturing our on these water bodies as many hazards exist.

And here is more info:

You can get updated info on the flood warning areas by clicking on the maps that are posted by the Duluth, Grand Forks, and the Twin Cities NWS offices.

Hydrographs of river levels

NOAA’s Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service site shows river gauges across our region. You can click on any gauge at that site to get recent and current river levels plus the forecast levels over the next few days.

The Mississippi River at Aitkin had been at moderate flood stage, and has now dropped to minor flood stage:

The Mississippi River is expected to stay below minor flood stage at St. Paul this week:

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.