Showers and thunderstorms at times
It's an umbrella kind of day.
Periods of rain and a few embedded thunderstorms are expected over about the southern half of Minnesota this Thursday morning into early afternoon.
Scattered showers and thunderstorms are also possible later this afternoon and evening for about the southern third of Minnesota.
By Friday, southern and central Minnesota should be rain-free, with scattered shower activity possible in northern Minnesota.
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Severe weather outlook
The Storm Prediction Center of the National Weather Service shows a marginal risk of severe weather for much of southern Minnesota this Thursday and Thursday night, with a slight risk of severe weather in the far southeast:
Marginal risk means that an isolated severe thunderstorm is possible, slight risk means that scattered severe thunderstorms are possible:
Cooler temps
We hit 81 degrees Wednesday afternoon at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, which is exactly equal to our average high this time of year in the Twin Cities metro area.
We might not see 80s again until next Tuesday.
Highs will be in the 70s over most of Minnesota this Thursday afternoon.
Cooler highs in the 60s will cover northern and central Minnesota on Friday:
Southern Minnesota and the Twin Cities metro area will see highs in the lower 70s.
Similarly cool highs are on tap for Saturday:
Highs in the Twin Cities metro area will only reach about 70 degrees this weekend.
Twin Cities highs warm to around 76 next Monday, then 80 Tuesday and lower 80s next Wednesday.
Tropical Storm Cindy
According to the National Hurricane Center, Tropical Storm Cindy made landfall early Thursday:
Tropical Storm Cindy Discussion Number 11
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL
400 AM CDT Thu Jun 22 2017
Radar imagery from Slidell and Lake Charles, Louisiana along with
surface synoptic data, particularly those from Calcasieu Pass
Louisiana, indicate that the center of Cindy crossed the coast
between Cameron Louisiana and Port Arthur Texas an hour or two ago.
The observations from Calcasieu indicate that the intensity is now
around 35 kt. Now that the center is inland, steady weakening will
occur and the system should become a depression later today, and be
reduced to a post-tropical remnant low tonight. In 2-3 days, or
sooner, the remnant low of Cindy should become absorbed into a
frontal zone over the eastern United States.
Cindy will weaken to tropical depression strength today and move north-northeastward:
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's North American Mesoscale forecast model shows the potential rain pattern, that is enhanced in several southern states due to the remnants of Cindy, from today through Friday:
Programming note
You can hear my live weather updates on Minnesota Public radio at 7:49 a.m. Thursdays and Fridays, and at 7:35 a.m. and 9:35 a.m. each Saturday and Sunday.