Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Tracking Thursday's rainfall

Soaking rains Thursday for much of central and southern Minnesota.

European model (ECMWF) rainfall forecast
European model (ECMWF) rainfall forecast by Friday
ECMWF via pivotal weather

It’s a bright sunny Wednesday.

We’re already tracking the next low-pressure system through the Upper Midwest Thursday. This system brings widespread rainfall to most of Minnesota Thursday.

The low-pressure center tracks through Iowa Thursday. The rain shield will spread from southwest Minnesota Thursday morning into the Twin Cities during the morning hours and across most of central and southern Minnesota during the day. Basically, it will rain from about Lake Mille Lacs southward.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s NAM 3 km resolution model paints the rain zone moving across central and southern Minnesota Thursday. There may be a few embedded thundershowers across southern Minnesota.

NOAA NAM 3 km model Thursday
NOAA NAM 3 km model Thursday
NOAA via tropical tidbits

Soaking rains

Overall rainfall totals look plentiful across central and southern Minnesota Thursday. By Friday morning, anywhere from .50” to 1” is likely with some local rainfall totals over an inch.

European model (ECMWF) rainfall forecast
European model (ECMWF) rainfall forecast by Friday
ECMWF via pivotal weather

A few showers may linger across southern Minnesota early Friday morning. But the trend will be for direr and sunnier skies as we move through Friday and into Saturday.

Chilly though Friday

The rain and clouds will hold temperatures in the 50s across Minnesota Thursday.

Forecast high temperatures Thursday
Forecast high temperatures Thursday
NOAA

By Friday, increasing sunshine will help temperatures moderate into the low 60s in many locations.

Forecast high temperatures Friday
Forecast high temperatures Friday
NOAA

I’ll post a detailed look at the Memorial Day weekend forecast later today.