Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Weekend weather: Summery temps; Saturday morning rain chance

Fall color update for leaf-peepers

We’ll have a flashback to summer this weekend. Some spots could see a passing shower or thunderstorm Saturday morning.

Leaf-peepers will have many options this weekend around Minnesota.

Summery temps, dew points on the way

This is an interesting time of year. We can have very chilly temps one day, then summery warmth and humidity a few days later.

Our average Twin Cities high temperature is 67 degrees on Sept. 30. Some spots in the metro area will top 80 degrees this Saturday. Southern Minnesota and west-central Wisconsin will have Saturday highs in the lower 80s, with mainly 70s in central and northern Minnesota:

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Saturday forecast highs
National Weather Service

Most areas will have summery dew points in the 60s this weekend.

Sunday high temperatures will be in the 80s across much of central and southern Minnesota and west-central Wisconsin, with mainly 70s elsewhere:

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Sunday forecast highs
National Weather Service

In northeastern Minnesota, parts of Cook County that are close to Lake Superior could top out in the 60s.

Saturday shower chance

Western and northern Minnesota will have the best chance of showers and thunderstorms Friday afternoon. Showers and thunderstorms are expected to spread into the remainder of Minnesota plus western Wisconsin Friday evening and overnight Friday night.

Computer models show a lingering chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms in eastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin Saturday morning, then an isolated chance of showers and thunderstorms in those same areas later Saturday afternoon and Saturday evening.

Sunday looks rain-free in 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.

Fall colors are popping

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Fall colors pop on Sunday along Minnesota Highway 13 near Lilydale Regional Park in the Twin Cities.
Ron Trenda | MPR News

Fall colors are popping in much of Minnesota. I saw pockets of brilliant fall color in parts of the Twin Cities metro area the past few days, but many metro area trees are still green.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources fall color report for Minnesota State Parks and Trails looks like this:

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Fall color report
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

The changeover to fall colors is highest in the northern half of Minnesota, but parts of west-central Minnesota are also seeing plenty of fall color.

When you look at the fall color map, keep in mind that all deciduous trees are included. Maples can sometimes be peaking in an area when the overall changeover to fall color is 50 percent or less.

The Wisconsin fall color report can be found here.

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.