Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Mixed bag: More dry than rainy hours this weekend

Highs in the 70s for most of Minnesota

Welcome to the first big holiday weekend and the unofficial start of summer in Minnesota.

This weekend brings a mixed bag of dry and rainy hours. The good news? We’ll enjoy many more dry than rainy hours this weekend. We’ll also see abundant cloud cover, and fewer hours of sunshine.

Rain timing

I’ll be honest. The forecast models are not helping us time out specific rainfall zones and timing this weekend. The best chances for rain and thunder appear to be Sunday afternoon, and again Monday.

NOAA’s NAM model grasps the concept of spotty pop-up showers Saturday, with the chance for a band of stronger thunderstorms rumbling across southern Minnesota Sunday afternoon. Then, a few more showers Memorial Day. We’ll have to walk and boat between the raindrops this weekend. But there will be opportunities.

NOAA NAM model Saturday through Monday
NOAA NAM model Saturday through Monday
NOAA via Weather Bell

Mostly 70s

It’s interesting how temperatures are so sunshine dependent this time of year. Areas that hang onto clouds all day will hover in the 70s. A couple hours of afternoon sun? Our air mass is warm enough to shoot up toward 80 degrees.

If we get enough sun, the best chance for hitting 80 degrees this weekend looks like Sunday afternoon.

Forecast high temperatures Sunday
Forecast high temperatures Sunday
NOAA

Warmer days ahead?

The forecast models keep teasing us with notions of warmer temperatures ahead. The upper air pattern continue to favor warmer air as we approach early June.

Upper air forecast map for 7 pm June 1
Upper air forecast map for 7 pm June 1
NOAA

NOAA’s eight- to 14-day outlook favors a building heat dome in the western U.S. that could spill into Minnesota around June 1.

NOAA 8 to 14-day temperature outlook
NOAA 8 to 14-day temperature outlook
NOAA

Stay tuned.