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Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News
Sven Sundgaard
Updated:

Rain is on its way. Cooler air for the weekend ahead

It will be milder Thursday before cooling off Friday

prec THU 7a
Forecast precipitation 7 a.m. Thursday through 1 a.m. Friday
NOAA via pivotal weather

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Thursday will be briefly warmer ahead of the next cool front and disturbance that will develop much need rain showers later today. Cooler air returns for Friday and Saturday.

Much needed rainfall develops Thursday, though not a ‘drought buster’ 

After a chilly Wednesday and early Thursday morning, it will be milder Thursday ahead of the next cold front set to sweep across Minnesota. Highs will be back in the 60s for southern Minnesota and in the 50s north. Those readings are 10-15 degrees above normal once again.

thu hi 2
Forecast highs Thursday
National Weather Service

The big story for Thursday is the arrival of a widespread rainfall. It won’t be a “drought buster,” as most of us are behind by several inches of rain, but it’s something. Scattered showers will develop in west-central Minnesota midday Thursday and track east in the late afternoon and evening. 

prec THU 7a
Forecast precipitation 7 a.m. Thursday through 1 a.m. Friday
NOAA via pivotal weather

Rainfall will be modest (mostly under one-quarter inch), but it will be the first measurable rainfall in the Twin Cities officially since Sept. 19 when we had only 0.03 inches. This could be the biggest rain since late August.

QPF 7a
Forecast rainfall Thursday into Thursday night
NOAA via pivotal weather

Temperatures cool back down to closer to normal for Friday and Saturday with some frosty nights again, too.

fri hi 2
Forecast highs Friday
National Weather Service

Warmer air returns early next week with highs back in the 70s likely for southern Minnesota. 

Drought continues to expand

Today’s rain comes at a critical time for the region. The latest drought monitor shows continued expansion of drought.

drought 10-24
Latest U.S. drought monitor
National Drought Mitigation Center

Roughly 86 percent of Minnesota now is in at least moderate drought. Of that, 43 percent of Minnesota is now in severe drought. These are increases from 72 percent and 28 percent respectively just one week ago.

drought compare 10-24
Comparison of last week's drought monitor to this week's
National Drought Mitigation Center

Many areas of the state are behind by as much as 4-6 inches of rain for the past 60 days.