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Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News
Sven Sundgaard

Comfortable Thursday; heating back up Friday; storm chances ahead

Muggy air returns Friday; potentially wet weekend

thu highs 8am
Forecast high temperatures Thursday
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, via Pivotal Weather

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A nearly perfect Thursday with normal temperatures and low dew points. Heat and humidity return Friday setting the stage for possible weekend rain and thunder.

Nice Thursday, hotter Friday

Thursday will be just about perfect with comfortable dew points in the 50s, and high temperatures in the low to mid-80s south, 70s north. Muggy air returns, however, for Friday into the weekend.

dews loop 8am
Forecast dew points Thursday through Sunday
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, via Pivotal Weather

Temperatures will also increase. Highs will be in the 90s again across southern and western Minnesota Friday.  

fri highs 8am
Forecast high temperatures Friday
NOAA, via Pivotal Weather

Hopeful weekend rain

Scattered showers and storms will develop in northern Minnesota late Friday afternoon and evening and those showers will attempt to move south and east overnight Friday night.

Saturday will bring some spotty storms with more potentially widespread scattered showers and storms Saturday night into Sunday morning.

wknd precip loop
Forecast precipitation late Friday into Sunday
College of DuPage

The models are mixed, and given our very dry run nothing is guaranteed. But several models give drought-stricken areas significant rainfall.

Here are four different model scenarios. Note that some are over one inch, others only around one-quarter of an inch.

precip models
Four computer model forecasts for total weekend precipitation
NOAA, via Pivotal Weather

We definitely need the moisture. The latest U.S. Drought Monitor shows the area of drought doubling across Minnesota from about 8.5 percent of Minnesota to 18 percent. Abnormally dry areas increased 14 percent.

drought monitor
Latest drought monitor shows drought expanding some
National Drought Mitigation Center

Overall hotter and dry ahead

After the weekend, the overall pattern calls for hotter than normal temperatures and drier than normal precipitation. We could be near 90 again late next week.

6-10 day temps
6-10 day temperature outlook
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center
6-10 day precip
6-10 day forecast precipitation outlook
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center

But first, we should see a couple of cooler days Sunday and Monday.

sun highs 8am
Forecast high temperatures Sunday
NOAA, via Pivotal Weather