Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Showers fade Thursday; 80s ahead next week

A significant warming trend kicks in starting Thursday

Temperature forecast for the Twin Cities metro area.
Temperature forecast for the Twin Cities metro area.
NOAA via Weather Bell

Our cool spring weather pattern is about to change — for the warmer.

Wednesday’s showers were spotty across Minnesota. We could have used more widespread rain. But the system represents the leading edge of a trend toward much warmer air masses in the coming week across Minnesota.

Springy through the weekend

Our weather feels much more springy through this weekend. Highs soar into the 70s in much of Minnesota the next few days.

Forecast high temperatures Thursday
Forecast high temperatures Thursday
NOAA

Rain chances Saturday night

Our next significant chance for much-needed rainfall arrives late Saturday into Sunday. The best chance for widespread showers and T-Storms across Minnesota favors Saturday night. The Canadian model is typical of solutions that track a low-pressure center through Iowa this weekend.

Canadian model into Saturday into Sunday
Canadian model into Saturday into Sunday
Environment Canada via tropical tidbits

Upper air pattern shift

Large-scale temperatures forecast a week out are all about the upper air patterns. Upper air forecast charts for next week still develop a high-amplitude ridge across the central U.S.

Upper air forecast map for 7 pm May 19
Upper air forecast map for 7 p.m. May 19.
NOAA

This pattern brings unseasonably warm air masses into Minnesota.

So, how warm (and humid) will it get next week? The forecast models have eased the initial warm surge Monday and Tuesday with highs generally in the 70s across Minnesota. But models still bring the thermal ridge (axis of hottest temperatures) into Minnesota Wednesday and Thursday. That should be good enough this time of year to push temperatures well into the 80s, to near 90 degrees.

Canadian model temperature output Thursday May 21
Canadian model temperature output May 21.
Environment Canada via tropical tidbits

Dew points in the sticky 60s to near a tropical 70 degrees still look likely next week.

NOAA GFS dew point forecast Thursday May 21
NOAA GFS dew point forecast May 21.
NOAA via tropical tidbits

Now, where did I put those shorts last fall?