Drizzle and maybe thunderstorms Sunday night; sultry Monday central and south

Sunday has been a rather drab, gray day. It kicked off with a broad swath of rain early. Then we’ve enjoyed a persistent blanket of low clouds with drizzle and scattered light rain. Heavier afternoon rain has been falling from thunderstorms in the northwest corner of Minnesota.

Weather radar at about 4:15 p.m. on Sunday
Weather radar at about 4:15 p.m. on Sunday
Grand Forks National Weather Service

Afternoon temperatures have been mainly in the 50s. The rainy northwest corner has been held to the 40s.

Sunday evening and Sunday night

Showers and thunderstorms are likely to grow and spread northeast across Minnesota Sunday evening and overnight. Some strong thunderstorms are possible by late evening and overnight.

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Severe weather is possible late today or overnight but the dynamics over Minnesota are weak — except in west-central Minnesota, where there is a slight risk of severe weather.

Severe weather outlook for Sunday evening and Sunday night
Severe weather outlook for Sunday evening and Sunday night
NOAA Storm Prediction Center

Tropical Monday

A warm front will extend from a low over South Dakota eastward across central Minnesota on Monday. Numerous showers and thunderstorms will soak northern Minnesota north of the warm front.

Central and southern Minnesota will sweat in very warm, tropically muggy air surging from the south behind the warm front. Afternoon high temperatures will heat to the low to mid 80s in those areas, with dew points reaching the low 70s. That is July-like sultriness.

There will be a chance of strong or severe storms on Monday. A cold front trailing from the low pressure center will cross Minnesota eastward on Monday and plow into our hot and sticky air during the afternoon and evening. It is difficult to generate severe weather this far north so late in the season, but the moisture will be abundant and the atmosphere will be quite unstable.

Marginal severe weather risk for Monday
Marginal severe weather risk for Monday
NOAA Storm Prediction Center

Turning cooler Tuesday

Cool Canadian air will sweep first into northwest Minnesota on Monday.

By Tuesday, the northwest wind will have cooled the entire state and hang around to bring cooler days all week. Thus will begin October.