Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Scattered rain and thunderstorms developing through this evening

A marginal risk for severe storms south and east of the Twin Cities.

Keep an eye on the radar today.

In fact, check out our brand new interactive radar on the MPR weather page while you’re at it. The image below from 1:10 p.m. shows scattered showers favoring western Wisconsin. You can pan and zoom our radar to see precipitation at your location, across all of Minnesota, and beyond.

MPR weather interactive radar
MPR weather interactive radar image at 1:10 pm Wednesday.
MPR News

Today’s scattered rain and thunderstorms are courtesy of a weak, slow-moving low-pressure system tracking across southern Minnesota into Wisconsin.

NOAA’s WRF model shows developing rain and thunder cells this afternoon and evening from around the Twin Cities into Wisconsin and southeast Minnesota.

NOAA WRF model
NOAA WRF model between 4 pm and midnight.
NOAA via tropical tidbits

Marginal severe risk

A few cells today could reach severe limits, especially south and east of the Twin Cities. NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has laid out a marginal risk zone from the southeast Twin Cities back to Mankato and the I-90 corridor. It also covers southeast Minnesota, much of Wisconsin, and northern Iowa.

Keep an eye out for possible strong to severe storms this evening in the risk zone. Stronger storms may pack heavy downpours, 60 mph winds, and hail.

A wetter year for Minnesota

Heavy precipitation patterns in 2022 has erased one of Minnesota’s most severe droughts on record. Copious winter and spring precipitation played a big role. Check out how different the crop stress conditions look across Minnesota compared to last summer.

Crop stress
Vegetative stress.
Duluth National Weather Service

While many of our lakes and rivers around the Twin Cities and central Minnesota are running low, it’s good to see most of the vegetation in Minnesota is lush green compared to last summer.