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Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News
Sven Sundgaard

Drought persists despite recent rains; significant rainfall potential this weekend

Parts of Minnesota could see more than 2 inches of rain this weekend

drought monitor 08-03
The latest U.S. drought monitor for Minnesota
National Drought Mitigation Center

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While some areas saw improvement in drought conditions, other areas worsened in the past week. The weekend could bring significant rainfall for some areas.

Drought persists overall despite recent rainfalls

Despite last week’s significant rainfall in some areas, the net impact on the drought was minimal on a statewide basis.

drought monitor 08-03
The latest U.S. drought monitor for Minnesota
National Drought Mitigation Center

Essentially we swapped some areas for others. The area of the state in at least moderate drought decreased by only about one-half of a percentage point. Areas of at least severe drought actually increased from about 30 to 34 percent of the state.

Extreme drought increased from about 1.5 percent to nearly 3 percent.

drought compare
Comparison in the recent drought monitor to one week ago
National Drought Mitigation Center

While extreme drought is no longer present in Anoka county, in the north metro, a new area developed in Crow Wing an Aitkin counties.

We also saw parts of west-central Minnesota move from moderate drought to just abnormally dry now. A reminder that Thursday’s drought monitor does not include rainfall some saw on Tuesday and Wednesday this week.

Parts of the Twin Cities saw some localized 1 to 2-inch rainfall amounts from isolated storms that popped up late Wednesday:

radar est 08-03
Radar estimated rainfall from Wednesday evening
RadarScope

Steamy Thursday with significant rainfall potential this weekend

Thursday will be another steamy day with highs in the low to mid 90s in southern Minnesota with dew points in the 60s to near 70.

highs and heat index THU
Forecast highs and peak heat index Thursday
National Weather Service

It is looking even more likely that portions of central and southern Minnesota are in for a significant and widespread rainfall Saturday night into early Monday. There are still differences in the models between track and amounts, but somewhere will get heavy rainfall.

QPF 120 08-03
Forecast total rainfall through Monday
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, via Pivotal Weather

Temperatures will also gradually cool down over the weekend into next week.

thu-sun fcst NWS
Forecast for east-central Minnesota into the weekend
National Weather Service