Saturday rain chance, then Sunday looks dry

We’re in a drought, so we could really use some rain.

In their latest report, which was released on Thursday, U.S. Drought Monitor showed 85% of Minnesota in drought:

Much of eastern Minnesota was shown in severe drought (orange) or extreme drought (medium red). There were even two small areas in exceptional drought (dark red).

The data cutoff for the Thursday map was 7 a.m. Tuesday, so it does not include the rain that hit portions of northern Minnesota Tuesday afternoon and evening.

Rain opportunities

Far northwestern Minnesota will stay fairly dry this Saturday, but the rest of northern Minnesota will see areas of rain at times, with an isolated thunderstorm also possible.

West-central and southwestern Minnesota have already seen some areas of rain and embedded thunderstorms this morning, Rain and thunderstorm chances will continue into the afternoon hours in those areas.

An approaching cool front and an upper-level disturbance will spread areas of rain and a few embedded thunderstorms across much of Minnesota and parts of Wisconsin as we go through Saturday afternoon and into Saturday evening.

In the Twin Cities metro area, there will be a chance of showers and a thunderstorm anytime from around mid-afternoon into Saturday evening.

Sunday looks dry in most of Minnesota. There could be an isolated Sunday shower in eastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin.

You can hear updated weather information for Minnesota and western Wisconsin on the MPR News network. Also check out the MPR News display of National Weather Service radar.

You can check these National Weather Service sites for updated weather info: Twin Cities, Duluth, La Crosse, Wis., Sioux Falls, S.D., and Grand Forks, N.D.

Temperature trends

The average Twin Cities high temperature is 76 degrees on Sept. 9. Parts of the metro area will top out around 80 degrees this Saturday afternoon.

Much of Minnesota will have Saturday highs in the 70s, but there will be some 60s in north-central and northeastern Minnesota. Parts of southeastern Minnesota will reach the lower 80s.

Sunday highs will be in the 60s in the northern third of Minnesota and in much of western Wisconsin, with 70s elsewhere:

Lower 70s are on tap for the Twin Cities metro area.

Many locations will have highs in the 60s on Monday, with some lower 70s in southwestern Minnesota:

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

How dry has it been?

The official Twin Cities rainfall (measured at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport) was just one-hundredth (.01) of an inch over the first eight days of September. Rainfall at MSP airport was eight inches below normal from June 1 through Sept. 8.

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.