Weekend forecast: Pleasant Saturday; rain at times on Sunday
Red flag warning this Friday afternoon
I’ll get to the weekend forecast shortly, but I first want to mention that there is a red flag warning (due to critical fire weather conditions) in portions of Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin this Friday afternoon:
Here are additional details of the red flag warning, which includes much of the Twin Cities metro area:
URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 321 AM CDT Fri Jun 18 2021 ...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL MINNESOTA AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN DUE TO VERY LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY AND BREEZY WINDS... .West winds 15 to 20 mph with gusts around 30 mph, afternoon humidity around 20 percent, and the ongoing drought, will result in critical fire weather conditions Friday afternoon. MNZ041>045-047>066-068-181630- /O.UPG.KMPX.FW.A.0003.210618T1700Z-210619T0000Z/ /O.NEW.KMPX.FW.W.0005.210618T1700Z-210619T0000Z/ Douglas-Todd-Morrison-Mille Lacs-Kanabec-Stevens-Pope-Stearns- Benton-Sherburne-Isanti-Chisago-Lac Qui Parle-Swift-Chippewa- Kandiyohi-Meeker-Wright-Hennepin-Anoka-Ramsey-Washington- Yellow Medicine-Renville-McLeod-Carver- 321 AM CDT Fri Jun 18 2021 ...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR VERY LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY AND BREEZY WINDS OVER MUCH OF CENTRAL MINNESOTA... The National Weather Service in Twin Cities/Chanhassen has issued a Red Flag Warning, which is in effect from noon today to 7 PM CDT this evening. The Fire Weather Watch is no longer in effect. * AFFECTED AREA...Much of central Minnesota. * WIND...West 15 to 20 mph with frequent gusts around 30 mph. * HUMIDITY...Around 20 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.
Weekend forecast
Temps will be slightly above normal in most areas this Saturday.
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Saturday highs will be in the 80s in central and southern Minnesota, plus western Wisconsin:
Northern Minnesota will see mainly 70s, but a few spots up along the North Shore of Lake Superior could top out in the 60s.
Saturday dew points will be in the very comfortable 40s and lower 50s:
Sunday highs range from the 60s in far northern Minnesota to the 80s in far southern Minnesota:
Sunday dew points will be in the sticky 60s in the Twin Cities metro area and southern Minnesota, with mainly 50s elsewhere:
Rain opportunities on Father’s Day
The daylight hours of Saturday look dry. Periods of rain and a few embedded thunderstorms are expected late Saturday night and also on Sunday. We’re expecting some dry hours, too, but have a plan B if you have outdoor activities scheduled this Sunday.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s North American Mesoscale (NAM) forecast model shows the potential rain pattern for Saturday night through Sunday afternoon:
The models could change on the timing and location of the rain as we get closer to Sunday.
You can hear updated weather information for Minnesota and western Wisconsin on the Minnesota Public Radio network, and you can see updated weather info on the MPR News live weather blog.
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.