Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Spotty showers, thunder Friday with lingering chances into the weekend

Next week looks drier overall

Fri POP 8a
Forecast chance of rainfall Friday
National Weather Service

The next few days won’t be a washout but there will be spotty showers and thunder Friday and Saturday mostly. Next week looks drier and warmer overall. 

Spotty thunder chances into the weekend 

We had some soaking rains for the Fourth of July holiday. Many areas saw over 1 inch of rainfall but some places saw over 3 inches.

McGrath, just east of Mille Lacs Lake, saw 4.35 inches of rain. Hinckley, between Duluth and the Twin Cities, saw 3.03 inches. Willmar, west of Minneapolis, saw 3.02 inches. In southeastern Minnesota, Rochester picked up 2.37 inches.

The official rain total at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport was just 66 one-hundredths of an inch.

24 hr rainfall
24 hour estimated rainfall
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, via Pivotal Weather

We should be done with the persistent and steady rainfall. There will be spotty, pop-up showers and a couple of thunderstorms, especially again later Friday afternoon.

fri prec 8a
Forecast precipitation 8 a.m. Friday through 10 p.m.
NOAA, via Pivotal Weather

We’ll also see a mix of clouds and sun with highs in the mid to upper 70s across the state Friday afternoon.

fri hi 8a
Forecast highs Friday
National Weather Service

Saturday and Sunday will be decent overall, but there will be lingering spotty thunderstorm chances with the best chances Saturday afternoon. Sunday is the best chance for storms in northern Minnesota. In between, look for partly cloudy skies.

sat-sun prec 8a
Forecast precipitation 7 a.m. Saturday through 1 p.m. Sunday
NOAA, via Pivotal Weather

High temperatures both days will be mostly in the mid-70s to near 80 degrees across the state.

wknd highs
Forecast highs Saturday and Sunday
National Weather Service

Next week overall looks drier and warmer as a result. The best chance of some lingering spotty shower and thunder chances is Monday.

We may be finally turning the corner on the very wet pattern we’ve been in since mid-May. Forecast total rainfall for the next seven days is under 1 inch, statewide.

next 7 day rain
Forecast rainfall over the next 7 days
NOAA, via Pivotal Weather

In the Twin Cities, we haven’t had a calendar week (Sunday through Saturday) with less than 1 inch of rainfall since mid-May. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center is also forecasting below normal rainfall in the six to 10-day outlook:

cpc 6-10
6 to 10-day precipitation outlook
NOAA Climate Prediction Center

With a drier pattern, temperatures too, will warm into the upper 80s to even near 90 by late next week.