It's dry. Who has the best chance of rain this weekend?
A peek ahead to first week of July
Friday was a gorgeous summer day across most of Minnesota and western Wisconsin.
We’re still searching for rain though, with about 75 percent of Minnesota currently experiencing drought conditions.
Weekend rain chances
Northwestern Minnesota may see some showers and an isolated thunderstorm Friday evening, with that rain chance spreading into north-central Minnesota overnight. A few scattered showers and thunderstorms are also possible Friday evening in far southeastern Minnesota.
West-central and northern Minnesota could see a few showers at times on Saturday, with an isolated thunderstorm also possible. The best chance of soaking rains on Saturday will be in southeastern Minnesota and portions of Wisconsin, as a low-pressure area spins moisture into those areas. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s North American Mesoscale (NAM) forecast model shows the potential rain pattern Saturday and Saturday evening:
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The Twin Cities metro area will be near the northern edge of the rain Saturday and Saturday night, with some occasional showers and thunderstorms expected.
On Sunday, scattered showers and thunderstorms are possible anywhere in Minnesota and western Wisconsin.
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.
Temperature trends
Saturday highs will be mainly in the upper 70s and lower 80s:
Saturday dew points will be in the comfortable 50s in many areas, with sticky 60s in the southeast:
Sunday high temps will once again be mainly in the upper 70s and lower 80s:
Some lower 70s are possible in northeastern Minnesota.
Sunday dew points will be in the 50s to around 60:
Back to temperatures: Twin Cities metro area highs are projected to be in the lower 80s Monday and Tuesday, followed by mid-80s Wednesday. Our highs retreat to around 80 on Thursday and Friday of next week.
Temperatures may tick a bit upward for the Fourth of July and the start of the following week. The NWS Climate Prediction Center shows a tendency for above-normal temps in Minnesota and western Wisconsin from July 3 through July 9:
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.