Showers and storms early Wednesday; severe storms likely by late afternoon

Showers and embedded thunderstorms have been spreading eastward across Minnesota including the Twin Cities area early Wednesday morning. Brief heavy rain is possible. Some storms might contain very small hail, but severe weather is not expected during the morning.

After the early storms roll through, skies will clear, the day will heat up and dew points will climb. The Twin Cities should warm to about 88 with dew points climbing into the low or possibly mid 60s.

An advancing cold front will take advantage of the unstable air and the heating of the day to generate strong thunderstorms across much of Minnesota Wednesday afternoon. Some thunderstorms are likely to become severe. Damaging hail is likely to be the main threat with strong wind also a possibility. Scattered severe storms should be expected in or near the yellow slight (level 2 of 5) risk area.

Twin Cities area impacts

For the general Twin Cities area, thunderstorms are likely to develop across central Minnesota around mid-afternoon and strengthen as they track eastward into the metro area by late afternoon. There is particular concern that the hatched area centered over Minneapolis and St. Paul could experience some very large hail of two-inch diameter or larger.

Cooler Thursday

Thursday looks like a pleasant, breezy day.

Then heating up

Temperatures will climb into the weekend.

Forecast models then show Minnesota, especially the southern half of the state, getting quite hot next week as the western heatwave spreads east across the northern Plains.