A beautiful Saturday, then overnight t-storms in some areas

In my opinion, today will be the nicest day of our three-day Labor Day weekend.

Our Saturday highs will be well into the 70s in most of Minnesota and western Wisconsin. There’ll be some lower 80s in south-central and southwestern Minnesota. Parts of northeastern Minnesota will top out in the upper 60s. Dew points will be in the comfortable 40s and lower 50s.

Thunderstorms in some areas Saturday night

Northern Minnesota could see a stray shower Saturday evening, followed by a chance of scattered showers and an isolated t-storm overnight. The main event will be farther south.

Showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop in parts of west-central and southwestern Minnesota after sunset, then expand to the east and southeast during the overnight hours of Saturday night. A few showers and thunderstorms may linger over far eastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin early Sunday morning.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s North American Mesoscale (NAM) forecast model shows the potential rain pattern Saturday evening through Sunday afternoon:

Some of the thunderstorms late Saturday evening and overnight could be severe. The NWS Storm Prediction Center shows a slight risk of severe weather Saturday night for much of the southern half of Minnesota, including the southwest portion of the Twin Cities metro area. Slight risk means that scattered severe thunderstorms are possible.

Here’s the Twin Cities NWS depiction of the severe risk potential, with the slight risk area shaded yellow:

The dark-green shaded area (which includes Minneapolis and St. Paul) indicates a marginal risk of severe weather Saturday night. An isolated severe thunderstorm is possible in the marginal risk area. By the way, the severe weather outlook is for a period that ends at 7 a.m. Sunday, The metro area might not see any thunderstorms until after midnight Saturday night.

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Midday update

The NWS Storm Prediction Center has added an enhanced risk of severe weather for Saturday night in parts of southwestern and south-central Minnesota.

Here’s the Twin Cities NWS depiction of the severe risk potential, with the enhanced risk area shaded beige:

Numerous severe thunderstorms are possible in the enhanced risk area Saturday night.

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You can hear updated weather information on the MPR network, and you’ll see updated weather info on the MPR News live weather blog.

Warmer Sunday

Our average Twin Cities high temperature is 76 degrees this time of year. The metro area will probably see highs in the lower 80s on Sunday.

Highs in the 80s are expected on Sunday in about the southern half of Minnesota, plus west-central Wisconsin. Northern Minnesota will see mainly 70s: 

A few spots in southwestern Minnesota could touch 90 Sunday afternoon.

Dew points will be in the sticky 60s in parts of central and southern Minnesota and western Wisconsin:

Winds will pick up Sunday afternoon, gusting over 20 mph in the Twin Cities and possibly close to 40 mph in northwestern Minnesota:

Wind gust are in knots, with 17 knots equal to about 20 mph and 35 knots equal to around 40 mph.

Chilly Labor Day

Labor Day highs will be in the 50s across northern Minnesota, with lower 60s in the south:

Many areas will see some showers at times on Monday, with the best chance in the afternoon and evening.

Cool week ahead

Twin Cities metro area highs are projected to be in the mid 50s Tuesday and Wednesday. Our high temps recover a bit after that, with lower 60s Thursday and upper 60s on Friday.

Programming note

You can hear my live weather updates on MPR News at 7:35 a.m., 9:35 a.m. and 4:35 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday.