Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Scattered thunderstorms again Wednesday afternoon; season's first 90s this weekend

Local downpours, thunder, gusty winds again Wednesday afternoon

Heat index values
Global Forecast System heat index values for 4 p.m. Sunday
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, via Pivotal Weather

Lather, rinse, repeat.

It’s another afternoon of scattered thunderstorms around parts of Minnesota. The storms that bubble up in the heat of the day are packing local downpours, lightning, thunder, gusty winds and possibly small hail as they drift slowly southwest.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Weather Research and Forecasting model shows a few more blips drifting through between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Wednesday:

NOAA WRF model
Weather Research and Forecasting model between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Wednesday
NOAA, via Tropical Tidbits

Expect scattered cells into Wednesday evening.

Sunnier and warmer days ahead

Our weather dries up and heats up as we move toward the weekend. Highs Thursday and Friday under mainly sunny skies will reach the mid to upper 80s across much of Minnesota.

Forecast high temperatures Friday
Forecast high temperatures Friday
NOAA

Weekend heat wave

Temperatures ramp up another notch this weekend. Highs Saturday and Saturday will reach the 90s across much of southern and western Minnesota.

Forecast high temperatures Sunday
Forecast high temperatures Sunday
NOAA

With dew points in the 70s to possibly near 80 degrees Sunday afternoon, heat index values could reach 100 degrees across much of southern Minnesota.

Here’s NOAA’s Global Forecast System model heat index output for 4 p.m. Sunday:

Heat index values
Global Forecast System heat index values for 4 p.m. Sunday
NOAA, via Pivotal Weather

Note the cooler numbers near your favorite Great Lake up north.

A few scattered storms are possible in parts of northern Minnesota this weekend.