Temps retreat on Sunday; rain and thunder chances
Very dry air in parts of Minnesota Saturday
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We had summery temps on Saturday; it was perfect weather to be on or near a lake.
The Saturday high temperature at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport was 87 degrees. It felt more like July than May 1. Our average Twin Cities high is 65 degrees this time of year.
Many locations in Minnesota and western Wisconsin had Saturday highs in the 80s, and parts of western and south-central Minnesota topped 90 degrees. Along with the warmth, many locations in western Minnesota had relative-humidity levels in the single digits or teens; which is more typical of desert locations than Minnesota in May. Here are some of the lowest relative-humidity reports from Saturday:
The complete list can be found here.
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Low relative-humidity values and gusty winds combined with our unusually warm temps to elevate the danger of wildfire spread in Minnesota and western Wisconsin Saturday. The National Weather Service continues red flag warnings across much of western, northern and central Minnesota into Saturday evening:
Here are details of the red flag warning that continues until 9 p.m. this Saturday in central Minnesota:
MNZ041>045-047>050-054>058-064-065-073-020115- /O.CON.KMPX.FW.W.0003.000000T0000Z-210502T0200Z/ Douglas-Todd-Morrison-Mille Lacs-Kanabec-Stevens-Pope-Stearns- Benton-Lac Qui Parle-Swift-Chippewa-Kandiyohi-Meeker- Yellow Medicine-Renville-Redwood- 1210 PM CDT Sat May 1 2021 ...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR BREEZY WINDS AND EXTREMELY LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY LEVELS FOR WESTERN AND PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MINNESOTA... * AFFECTED AREA...Western and central Minnesota. * WIND...Northwest 10 to 15 mph with gusts of 25 to 30 mph. * HUMIDITY...8 to 16 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.
Sunday rain chances
Minnesota and western Wisconsin will see showers at times as we go through Sunday and Sunday night. Some areas, including the Twin Cities, could also see a thunderstorm; especially late Sunday afternoon and Sunday evening.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s North American Mesoscale (NAM) forecast model shows the potential precipitation pattern for Sunday and Sunday night:
You can hear updated weather information for Minnesota and western Wisconsin on the MPR network, and you’ll see updated weather info on the MPR News live weather blog.
Temperature trends
Sunday highs are forecast to reach the 70s in southern Minnesota and parts of western Wisconsin, with mainly 60s in central and northern Minnesota:
Northeastern Minnesota will see highs in the 50s.
Twin Cities metro area highs are projected to be around 60 Monday and Tuesday, followed by lower 60s Wednesday and around 60 on Thursday and Friday
We could have below-normal temps next weekend into the following week. The NWS Climate Prediction Center shows a slight tendency for below-normal temps in our neck of the woods from May 9 through May 15:
We’ll see if that pans out!
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.
