Rain totals add up over the next week across Minnesota

The air quality across Minnesota keeps improving Wednesday, and the pattern turns rainier by Thursday.

Wednesday’s forecast

As the state is now under a southerly wind flow, morning temperatures were slightly milder than the past couple mornings, with plenty of 50s, but even more spots starting the day in the 60s. 

Many places will also see highs nudge slightly higher, with most of Minnesota in the upper 80s Wednesday afternoon.

Having winds out of the south has helped to greatly reduce the amount of smoke across Minnesota from the Canadian wildfires.

At 6 a.m. on Tuesday, most of the state had air readings in the “unhealthy for sensitive groups” category, and portions of western Minnesota were in the higher “unhealthy” category. By 6 a.m. Wednesday most of Minnesota was in the “moderate” category, with no “unhealthy” readings. 

Here is that side-by-side comparison:

However, because much of northern Minnesota still has readings that are “unhealthy for sensitive groups,” that area is still under an air quality alert until Wednesday evening. 

Skies will be mostly dry Wednesday, but clouds increase through the day from the west. Western Minnesota is likely to see a couple showers by the afternoon, and a more widespread shower and storm chance by the end of the day.

Needed rain

The rain that starts moving into Minnesota late Wednesday spreads across the state during the overnight, and all of Minnesota could see scattered showers and storms Thursday. 

Severe weather is unlikely and rain totals are expected to stay low, with most areas seeing under one-quarter inch.

The cloud cover and rain cool temperatures slightly, with highs forecast in the 70s north and 80s south and west on Thursday.

Friday turns drier again, but more scattered showers and storms are likely Saturday into Sunday, with slightly higher precipitation totals expected. 

For much of next week, at least some part of the state has a rain chance each day. While it currently does not look like any particular storm or disturbance will be a soaker, all the spotty to scattered showers add up. 

Through the next seven days, almost all of the state can expect some measurable rain, and eastern Minnesota especially may see totals of one-half inch to 1 inch or more.

This could put places like the Twin Cities close to average rainfall for the coming week. 

Around the Twin Cities, the average weekly rainfall this time of year is about an inch. For perspective, it has been so dry recently, the Twin Cities did not even see an inch of rain all of July.

Much of Minnesota saw similarly dry conditions in July.

Outside of rainier periods, temperatures remain above average, with most of the state seeing highs in the 80s through the weekend. 

Here is that forecast for the Twin Cities:

Programming note

You can hear my live weather updates on Minnesota Public Radio at 7:48 a.m. Monday through Friday morning.