Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Decreasing clouds Thursday with lingering showers northeast. Warmer days ahead

Summerlike temperatures move in for Friday and Saturday

wx THU
Forecast weather conditions late Thursday
National Weather Service

Updated 9 a.m.

Clouds and scattered showers will linger in northeastern Minnesota. The rest of the state will see decreasing cloud cover. Friday and Saturday will see the return of 80s south and west.

Decreasing clouds Thursday with lingering showers northeast

Most of Minnesota will be dry Thursday, but light rain showers will linger in northeastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin.

thu prec 8a
Forecast precipitation 9 a.m. through 6 p.m. Thursday
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, via Pivotal Weather

Clouds should decrease from west to east allowing temperatures to warm in western and southern Minnesota, back into the 70s.

thu hi 8a
Forecast highs Thursday
National Weather Service

Much warmer Friday, Saturday with isolated thunderstorms

A blast of warmer air is moving in for Friday and Saturday. Highs Friday will be well into the 80s for much of southern and western Minnesota, bringing a taste of summer again.

fri hi 8a
Forecast highs Friday
National Weather Service

Some forecast models hint at some 90 degree readings Friday, especially in west-central Minnesota:

FRI HRRR
High-Resolution Rapid Refresh model high temperature forecast for Friday
NOAA, via WeatherBELL Analytics

A cool front will touch off some isolated showers and a couple thunderstorms Friday night into Saturday. The best chances of rain will be north and east.

fri-sat prec 8a
Forecast precipitation 7 a.m. Friday through 7 a.m. Sunday
European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, via Pivotal Weather

It will be in the 80s again for the Twin Cities and southeastern Minnesota Saturday ahead of the cool front. Temperatures will still be above normal Sunday and Monday, mainly in the mid to upper 70s south to 60s north. 

Another chance of potentially more significant moisture develops late Sunday into Tuesday next week.

sun-tue prec
Forecast precipitation 7 a.m. Sunday through 1 p.m. Tuesday
European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, via Pivotal Weather

Between a couple different upper-level disturbances, rainfall could add up to some significant amounts. The forecast models favor southern and southeastern Minnesota for the heaviest precipitation at this point.

precip panels
Four forecast model scenarios for total precipitation through Tuesday
NOAA, via Pivotal Weather

Hopefully we get this widespread, significant moisture early next week as many parts of the state are now running month-to-date rainfall deficits. The latest drought monitor is unchanged, for now:

drought 05-16
The map shows the latest Minnesota drought conditions through early Tuesday, May 14.
National Drought Mitigation Center