Scattered rain overnight; warmest 4 months of the year ahead
Some thunder across Minnesota overnight into Thursday morning
![Twin Cities area forecast at a glance](https://img.apmcdn.org/da311cab3b279374728ad5d1354aedf4f5062f3e/uncropped/91cc95-20240515-twin-cities-area-forecast-at-a-glance-1536.png)
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It’s a rainy night for much of Minnesota. A relatively weak low-pressure system is strong enough to produce scattered rain and a few thunderstorms.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s High-Resolution Rapid Refresh model shows the low tracking through the heart of Minnesota overnight into Thursday morning. Scattered rain and a few thunderstorms will track east overnight.
The loop below runs between 7 p.m. Wednesday and 7 a.m. Thursday.
![NOAA HRRR model 2](https://img.apmcdn.org/6a48167273d8585a0e0c596f436221227edc68bf/uncropped/6fdc55-20240515-noaa-hrrr-model-2-1024.gif)
The system will drop lighter rainfall totals across most of central and southern Minnesota, but a swath of rainfall of an inch or more will favor northwestern Minnesota. That’s good news. The drought lingers in this zone.
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![NOAA GFS precipitation output](https://img.apmcdn.org/806153904dddc84fd7d93909d7b8a31e8ee64dbd/uncropped/5fb8de-20240515-noaa-gfs-precipitation-output-743.png)
Warmer days ahead
Warmer air will blow in behind Thursday’s departing low-pressure system. Highs Friday will push into the mid and even upper 80s from the Twin Cities south and west.
I won’t be surprised to see a few bank thermometers flashing 90 degrees Friday afternoon in towns like Madison, Montevideo and Granite Falls in western Minnesota.
![Forecast high temperatures Friday 2](https://img.apmcdn.org/86708a985ed357834522e9a0084a058afddbc568/uncropped/55e105-20240515-forecast-high-temperatures-friday-2-640.png)
Saturday brings a cool front that will sweep in cooler air from the northwest. But highs will reach 80 degrees in southeastern Minnesota before the front blows through.
![Forecast high temperatures Saturday](https://img.apmcdn.org/f061f83da83871f9782f3994b79028942c73c40d/uncropped/2e7f63-20240515-forecast-high-temperatures-saturday-639.png)
Sunday brings a beautiful and comfortable day to close the weekend.
![Forecast high temperatures Sunday](https://img.apmcdn.org/3ee3e8b143151e428cbd7e79e8896cacfb37bae3/uncropped/78db8e-20240515-forecast-high-temperatures-sunday-634.png)
Overall, it looks like our beautiful spring weather pattern will continue well into next week. Our normal high in the Twin Cities reached 70 degrees Friday. Our normal high temperature in the Twin Cities remains at or above 70 degrees through Sept. 24.
![Twin Cities climate data](https://img.apmcdn.org/9fee37988c69476f0ce4d0850f01c569a9165712/uncropped/9cec7f-20240515-twin-cities-climate-data-663.png)
We’re entering the warmest four months of the year in Minnesota.
Enjoy!