Weekend forecast: Winds pick up; warm temps in most areas
Shower chance northwestern Minnesota Sunday afternoon
We’re expecting a Friday afternoon high in the upper 70s in the Twin Cities metro area, which will shatter our current Twin Cities Nov. 6 record high of 73.
Due to breezy and warm conditions, along with low relative humidity, the National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for Friday afternoon/early evening across southwestern and west-central Minnesota:
Here are details of the warning:
URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 1046 AM CST Fri Nov 6 2020 ...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS LIKELY THIS AFTERNOON IN WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA... .South to southwest winds will increase to 20 to 25 mph with gusts to 30 mph this afternoon. Mixing will cause dewpoint values to drop, and relative humidities will bottom out to between 20 and 25 percent across much of west central and southwest Minnesota today. As a result of these anticipated conditions, a Red Flag Warning has been issued for this afternoon. MNZ047-048-054>057-064-065-073-074-082-091-070000- /O.CON.KMPX.FW.W.0005.201106T1800Z-201107T0000Z/ Stevens-Pope-Lac Qui Parle-Swift-Chippewa-Kandiyohi- Yellow Medicine-Renville-Redwood-Brown-Watonwan-Martin- 1046 AM CST Fri Nov 6 2020 ...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR BREEZY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY LEVELS FOR PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA... * AFFECTED AREA...west central and southwest Minnesota, generally along and west of a line from Glenwood to Spicer to Hector to Madelia to Imogene. * WIND...South to southwest 20 to 25 mph with gusts to 30 mph. * HUMIDITY...As low as 20 to 25 percent. * IMPACTS...any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly. Outdoor burning is not recommended. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now....or will shortly. A combination of strong winds...low relative humidity...and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior.
Although not under a warning, the fire danger is elevated across eastern Minnesota Friday afternoon:
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Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 1041 AM CST Fri Nov 6 2020 MNZ041>045-049>053-058>063-066>070-075>078-083>085-092-093-070000- Douglas-Todd-Morrison-Mille Lacs-Kanabec-Stearns-Benton-Sherburne- Isanti-Chisago-Meeker-Wright-Hennepin-Anoka-Ramsey-Washington- McLeod-Sibley-Carver-Scott-Dakota-Nicollet-Le Sueur-Rice-Goodhue- Blue Earth-Waseca-Steele-Faribault-Freeborn- Including the cities of Alexandria, Long Prairie, Little Falls, Princeton, Mora, St Cloud, Sauk Rapids, Elk River, Cambridge, Center City, Litchfield, Monticello, Minneapolis, Blaine, St Paul, Stillwater, Hutchinson, Gaylord, Chanhassen, Chaska, Victoria, Shakopee, Hastings, St Peter, Le Sueur, Faribault, Red Wing, Mankato, Waseca, Owatonna, Blue Earth, and Albert Lea 1041 AM CST Fri Nov 6 2020 ...Elevated Fire Weather Danger Today... A combination of temperatures in the mid to upper 70s, relative humidities near or under 35 percent, and south-southwesterly winds around 15 to 20 mph with gusts around 25 to 30 mph will result in an elevated fire weather danger. Ignition of any fields or brush will be at risk of spreading rapidly. Planned burns are discouraged and extra caution should be used during outdoor activities that could cause fire ignition.
You can hear updated weather information on the MPR network, and you’ll see updated weather info on the MPR News live weather blog.
Weekend warmth and winds
Saturday highs will range from the lower 50s in far northwestern Minnesota to the 70s in central and southern Minnesota plus west-central Wisconsin:
It’ll be breezy Saturday, with afternoon gusts over 25 mph possible in central and southern Minnesota:
Plotted values are in knots, with 24 knots equal to around 28 mph.
Back to temperatures, Sunday highs will be in the 60s in northern Minnesota, with 70s in central and southern Minnesota:
Wind gusts of 30 to 40 mph are possible Sunday in central and southern Minnesota:
Rain chances?
Saturday looks dry. Northwestern Minnesota will have a chance of scattered rain showers Sunday afternoon.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s North American Mesoscale (NAM) forecast model shows this potential precipitation pattern Sunday afternoon and evening:
The shower chance spreads across western Minnesota Sunday evening. Shower chances should hold off until after midnight Sunday night in most of eastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin.
Programming note
You can hear my live weather updates on MPR News at 7:35 a.m., 9:35 a.m. and 4:39 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday.