‘Unhealthy’ air quality expected in eastern Minnesota through Monday afternoon due to wildfire smoke

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After cloudier skies briefly drop highs slightly on Friday, temperatures are on the rise again into next week. Spotty showers through the weekend will make little dent in recent dry conditions.

Thanks to a weather disturbance west of Minnesota, the state is starting Friday with scattered showers, especially in central and southern Minnesota.  

The rain spreads statewide by the afternoon, although it stays predominantly spotty and light with most areas seeing under a quarter inch of rain. 

While this is not the soaking rain Minnesota needs — given that May has been very dry so far — it still helps the parched conditions and the higher humidity reduces the recent elevated fire risk.  

There will be a few isolated thunderstorms that bring localized, higher rainfall amounts.  Some of those storms may produce larger hail near the western border of Minnesota in the afternoon or evening (that marginal risk area is highlighted in darker green).

Because of the additional cloud cover and light southerly winds, the state began the day mild, with lows mostly in the 40s and 50s.  

However, mostly cloudy skies keep Friday highs a couple of degrees cooler than the widespread 70s of Thursday.  Much of the state will stay stuck in the 60s, with a couple isolated 70s still possible north where there could be a few more peaks of sunshine.

Spotty showers around the state then continue Saturday and Sunday, but they become even more sparse with far more dry and sunny breaks than rain. 

This means additional rainfall totals stay low over the weekend, so not much of dent will be made in the current May rain deficit.

If you are headed out for the Minnesota fishing opener, there could still be a couple very isolated thunderstorms on Saturday, but nothing severe is expected.

The return of a bit more sunshine plus a southerly wind on Sunday flow puts much of the state back in the 70s over the weekend.

By Monday, even warmer weather spreads across the state, and most of Minnesota sees 70s, with more 80s starting to appear south and west.

Here is that forecast for the Twin Cities through Monday:  

Highs predominantly in the 70s and 80s are likely to continue most of the week, putting temperatures 5 to 15 degrees above average.

Rain chances return again late next week.

You can hear my live weather updates on Minnesota Public Radio at 7:49 a.m. Monday through Friday morning.

Weather and Climate News

Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Nicole Mitchell 

Author

After cloudier skies briefly drop highs slightly on Friday, temperatures are on the rise again into next week. Spotty showers through the weekend will make little dent in recent dry conditions.


Occasional showers continue into the weekend

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