No air conditioner needed: Cooler and less humid Thursday and Friday

If you like slightly cool temperatures and very low humidity, you’ll really like the next couple of days.

Temperature trends

Most of Minnesota and western Wisconsin will have highs in the 70s Thursday afternoon:

Our average high temperature is 82 degrees this time of year in the Twin Cities.

Thursday afternoon dew point temperatures will be comfortably low, in the upper 40s to lower 50s:

Friday afternoon high temperatures will reach the 70s in the north, with lower 80s in parts of the south:

Twin Cities metro area highs are projected to be around 80 on Saturday, followed by lower 80s on Sunday.

Next week will probably feature at least a few days with highs in the 70s. Temps could rebound a bit by mid-August. The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center shows a slight tendency toward warmer than normal temperatures across Minnesota for the stretch from Aug. 15 through Aug. 21:

Saturday rain chances

We could see some showers and thunderstorms as we start our weekend. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's North American Mesoscale forecast model shows the potential rain pattern Saturday and Saturday evening:

I’d say that it’s good to pay more attention to the patchy nature of the rain pattern rather than the exact location of the rain. No all-day rains are expected.

Average high temperature

Thursday’s cool temps may feel a bit like early September. If so, you’re in tune to our ebb and flow of Minnesota weather. By the end of August, our average Twin Cities high temperature is 78 degrees. By the end of September, it’s down to 65 degrees. Our average Twin Cities high temp is 51 degrees at the end of October.