Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Rain overnight into Tuesday; Minnesota's record wet April-June

Latest models favor rain, thunderstorms late on July Fourth

Observed precipitation in June
Observed precipitation in June.
Midwest Regional Climate Center

Welcome to yet another soggy Minnesota weather record.

The map above shows June precipitation across the Midwest. Note how much of southern Minnesota received more than 10 inches of rainfall in June!

Climatologist and MPR News contributor Mark Seeley reports:

  • April through June 2024 was the wettest such period on record for Minnesota, with nearly 16 inches average rainfall across the state.

  • June was the third-wettest on average across Minnesota.

  • Faribault in Rice County set a new state record for June rainfall with 17.61 inches.

Next rainfall Monday night into Tuesday

It was a gloriously dry weekend across Minnesota. Now we watch our next wave of rain and thunderstorms roll across Minnesota overnight into early Tuesday.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s NAM 3 km model shows the trend of rain and thunderstorms sweeping across Minnesota mainly after dark through early Tuesday morning. The forecast model loop below runs between 7 p.m. Monday and 7 a.m. Tuesday.

NOAA NAM 3 km model
North American Mesoscale Forecast System 3 km model between 7 p.m. Monday and 7 a.m. Tuesday
NOAA, via Tropical Tidbits

There is a marginal risk for severe storms Monday evening in southwestern Minnesota, but since storms will arrive after dark the severe potential is minimal.

The heaviest rainfall through Tuesday will occur in Iowa where some multi-inch rainfall totals are likely. Most of Minnesota will pick up between one-quarter and 1 inch of rainfall.

European model (ECMWF) precipitation output
Precipitation output forecast through Tuesday
European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, via Pivotal Weather

Highs on Tuesday will run in the 70s to lower 80s across Minnesota.

Forecast high temperatures Tuesday
Forecast high temperatures Tuesday
NOAA

Wednesday looks sunnier and dry with highs in the 80s.

Forecast high temperatures Wednesday
Forecast high temperatures Wednesday
NOAA

Right now, forecast models favor rain and thunderstorms late in the day on the Fourth of July.

Stay tuned.