Minnesota sees major improvement in drought conditions

Temperatures turn milder through the weekend, as more sunshine returns.  The seasonable weather is short-lived though as colder weather returns next week.

One benefit of the gray and wet weather we have seen during part of April is the improvements to our soil moisture. 

Only a month ago, 100 percent of Minnesota was considered “abnormally dry” with 41 percent of the state in moderate drought or greater. An area from about Mankato through the Twin Cities, and toward Duluth, did get enough rain in late March to bring that area out of abnormally dry conditions, but 85 percent of the state still desperately needed rain going into April.

The drought monitors always collect data ending on Tuesday mornings, with the compiled data published on Thursday mornings.

So, the data that came out this Thursday was the first to capture improvements following the heavy rain Tuesday to Thursday of last week (April 6 to 8).

That rain last week was tremendously beneficial in reducing dry and drought conditions. Now only 44 percent of the state considered “abnormally dry” and only 11 percent of the state in drought conditions. 

Thursday’s forecast

Although the low pressure that plagued Minnesota the first half of the week has finally moved out, the state is still under low clouds and a northerly flow Thursday morning. 

The clouds kept temperatures from dropping much overnight, so most of the state started in the 30s, which is near to slightly above average.

It is also producing a couple very isolated areas of flurries and sprinkles.
This precipitation should end as clouds lift during the morning, and by the afternoon, we can expect a few more breaks of sunshine.

The additional sunshine warms us a couple degrees from Wednesday’s highs in the 30s and 40s.  Most of the state makes it into the 40s Thursday afternoon, with the Twin Cities near 50.

Extended forecast

Temperatures turn even milder as we head toward the weekend, putting most of the state back near the average highs for mid-April, which are in the 50s.

A little more sunshine and a few more 50s spread across Minnesota Friday. By Saturday and Sunday, most of the state makes it into the 50s, making the weather very seasonable for mid-April.

The return to mild weather is brief though.  A cold front pushes through the state late Sunday and through the overnight, dropping highs back down in to the 40s by Monday.

Here is that forecast for the Twin Cities, showing the drop on Monday:

Behind that front, below average temperatures are likely to linger most of the week.

It currently looks like that front will have limited moisture, but it will still likely move a light band of rain, with some snow possibly mixing in, across Minnesota from Sunday evening through early Monday afternoon.

Programming note

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