Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Spotty storms tonight, better chance for heavy rain Friday morning

Pattern change brings much cooler weather by next week.

We’re watching thunderstorm chances once again across Minnesota into Friday morning. It’s the start of a bigger pattern change that will bring much cooler air to Minnesota this weekend into next week.

Southern Minnesota sweated through one more 90-degree day Wednesday. It’s the tip of a tropical air mass delivering 90-degree temperatures and heat index values to the Upper Midwest. The air mass is considerably cooler behind the front across northern Minnesota.

Heat index values Wednesday afternoon
Heat index values Wednesday afternoon
Oklahoma Mesonet

Scattered storms into Thursday morning

A cold front draped across central Minnesota sags slowly south overnight. The front is driving a few scattered storms. Coverage of severe storms looks spotty to me across Minnesota into Thursday morning. There is a slight risk of severe storms favoring central Minnesota mainly north of the Twin Cities.

Severe weather risk areas
Severe weather risk areas through 7 am Friday morning
Twin Cities National Weather Service

Heavy rain potential Friday morning?

The severe risk zone shifts south with the frontal boundary Thursday night into Friday morning.

Severe weather risk areas Thursday night
Severe weather risk areas Thursday night into Friday morning
Twin Cities National Weather Service

To my eye, the more impressive weather event appears to be the potential for heavy rains that could generate flash flood warnings late Thursday night into Friday morning.

As the cold front stalls out across southern Minnesota Thursday night, thunderstorms are likely to develop along the front. At this time, the best chance for heavy, training thunderstorms appears to be just south of the Twin Cities by Friday morning.

NOAA’s NAM 3 km resolution forecast model tracks a cluster of heavy storms across southern Minnesota after midnight Thursday night into early Friday morning.

NOAA NAM 3 km model from 1 am to 7 am Friday
NOAA NAM 3 km model output from 1 am to 7 am Friday
NOAA via tropical tidbits

Whiff of September next week

September 1 arrives next Tuesday. The weather maps appear to be in sync with the notion of fall-like weather as September arrives. Highs hover in the 60s across northern Minnesota with low 70s in southern Minnesota early next week.

Forecast high temperatures Monday
Forecast high temperatures Monday
NOAA

Get ready for a seasonal change in our weather pattern next week.