Wintry mix spreads across Minnesota

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It was very warm and humid on Sunday, and meteorologists knew that a strong thunderstorm was possible. Warm air aloft provided a bit of a cap, preventing thunderstorms from developing over the Twin Cities metro area for several hours. The cap was broken in portions of the east metro during the afternoon, and torrential rains fell in parts of Ramsey County and Washington County. There were radar estimates of 1 to 3 inches of rain from around Maplewood to Lake Elmo. Some locations saw flash flooding:

A flash flood warning ran from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday from east-central Ramsey County to west-central Washington County.

Here’s the satellite image of the cloud cover at noon on Sunday, with a locator box over the Twin Cities 7-county metro area:

Now watch the satellite loop from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, which shows how the thunderstorms blossomed over the east metro:

Steering winds aloft were fairly light, so the storms moved slowly and some areas saw the heavy rainfall.

Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport didn’t see any measurable rain Sunday afternoon, and most of the west metro was rain-free. 

Much of Minnesota and western Wisconsin will see scattered thunderstorms at times Sunday evening and overnight Sunday night. A severe thunderstorm watch, which is valid until 11 p.m. this Sunday, includes parts of North Dakota and South Dakota plus Clay and Wilkin County of northwestern Minnesota. The National Weather Service 

 also indicates a slight risk of severe weather in the remainder of northwestern Minnesota Sunday evening and overnight, which means that scattered severe thunderstorms are possible. SPC indicates that an isolated severe thunderstorm is possible in the remainder of northern Minnesota plus much of central Minnesota. 

Updates on the weather in northwestern  and west-central Minnesota will be posted by the 

 office of the National Weather Service.

You can hear updated weather information on the MPR 

, and you’ll see updated weather info on the MPR News 

Our weather will be unsettled on Monday, with scattered showers and thunderstorms possible at times.

The NWS Storm Prediction Center shows a marginal risk of severe weather Monday and Monday night for much of Minnesota and Wisconsin:

Marginal risk means that an isolated severe thunderstorm is possible. There will be many rain-free hours on Monday too. We have a chance of occasional showers and thunderstorms each day this week. 

We had a high of 92 degrees at MSP airport Sunday afternoon. Our average Twin Cities high temp is 84 degrees on July 6, but we could top 90 on Monday, with lower 90s stretching from southeastern Minnesota into western Wisconsin:

The remainder of Minnesota will have Monday highs in the 80s.

Monday dew points are expected to be in the sticky 60s, with some steamy 70s in the south:

Twin Cities metro area highs are projected to reach the upper 80s on Tuesday, followed by lower 90s Wednesday, then around 90 on Thursday and Friday.

Weather and Climate News

Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Ron Trenda

Author

All or nothing. We have a recap of the flooding rains that hit parts of the east metro Sunday afternoon, plus a look at the week ahead.

Thunderstorm chances Sunday night and Monday; warm and humid this week

Go Deeper.

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