Scattered thunderstorms into Sunday night; warmer and sticky on Monday

More storms on Tuesday

Areas of showers and thunderstorms were mainly in the Dakotas and the western half of Minnesota at 5:30 p.m. Sunday. Those showers and thunderstorms will expand into eastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin Sunday evening and overnight. A severe thunderstorm is possible.

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.

One forecast model shows a few lingering showers and thunderstorms in southeastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin slightly beyond sunrise on Monday.

We can use the rain, with 95% of Minnesota in drought on the latest U.S. Drought Monitor report.

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Another rain opportunity on Tuesday

Many spots could see some showers and thunderstorms on Tuesday and Tuesday evening.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s North American Mesoscale (NAM) forecast model shows the potential rain pattern for Tuesday and Tuesday evening:

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Simulated radar Tuesday and Tuesday evening
NOAA, via Tropicaltidbits.com

Forecast models also show some areas of rain in Minnesota and western Wisconsin Thursday afternoon into Thursday night and Friday.

Temperature trends

The Sunday afternoon high temp at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport was 80 degrees. That equals our average Twin Cities high for August 22.

Metro area highs will reach the upper 80s on Monday, and we’ll share 80s with much of Minnesota and western Wisconsin:

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Monday forecast highs
National Weather Service

Far northern Minnesota will have highs in the 70s.

Dew points will rise into the sticky 60s in the southern half of Minnesota on Monday:

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Monday 1 p.m. forecast dew points
National Weather Service

Tuesday high temps reach well into the 80s in central and southern Minnesota plus western Wisconsin:

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Tuesday forecast highs
National Weather Service

Dew points will be in the steamy 70s in the southern half of Minnesota Tuesday afternoon:

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Tuesday 1 p.m. forecast dew points
National Weather Service

Back to forecast highs, Twin Cities metro area highs are projected to reach the lower 80s Wednesday, followed by upper 70s Thursday and Friday.

Henri update

Tropical Storm Henri made landfall around midday on Sunday:

Henri dumped some impressive rain amounts this weekend:

Here’s a look at the projected track of Henri, which includes the “cone of uncertainty” for the track of Henri’s center:

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Henri forecast track
NWS National Hurricane Center

Henri will eventually weaken to tropical depression strength, but it will still deliver additional rain to much of the Northeastern U.S. Sunday night and Monday.

Here’s the Sunday 5 p.m. EDT update on Henri, from the National Hurricane Center:

Tropical Storm Henri Advisory Number 28 NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL AL082021 500 PM EDT Sun Aug 22 2021 ...HENRI WEAKENS A LITTLE MORE WHILE MOVING WEST-NORTHWESTWARD ACROSS CENTRAL CONNECTICUT... ...HEAVY RAINFALL AND FLOODING EXPECTED ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND AND THE NORTHERN MID-ATLANTIC STATES THROUGH MONDAY... SUMMARY OF 500 PM EDT...2100 UTC...INFORMATION ---------------------------------------------- LOCATION...41.6N 72.4W ABOUT 100 MI...160 KM NE OF NEW YORK CITY ABOUT 20 MI...35 KM SE OF HARTFORD CONNECTICUT MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...40 MPH...65 KM/H PRESENT MOVEMENT...WNW OR 290 DEGREES AT 7 MPH...11 KM/H MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...997 MB...29.44 INCHES WATCHES AND WARNINGS -------------------- CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY: All coastal Tropical Storm Warnings have been discontinued. SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT: There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect. For storm information specific to your area, including possible inland watches and warnings, please monitor products issued by your local National Weather Service forecast office. DISCUSSION AND OUTLOOK ---------------------- At 500 PM EDT (2100 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Henri was located by surface observations and and NOAA Doppler weather radars near latitude 41.6 North, longitude 72.4 West. Henri is moving toward the west-northwest near 7 mph (11 km/h), and this general motion with a decrease in forward speed is expected through early Monday morning. A slow turn toward the north is expected Monday morning, followed by a motion toward the east-northeast Monday afternoon. On the forecast track, Henri is expected to slow down further and possibly stall near the Connecticut-New York border tonight, then move across northern Connecticut or southern Massachusetts by Monday afternoon. Maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 40 mph (65 km/h) with higher gusts. Additional weakening is forecast during the next couple of days, and Henri is expected to become a tropical depression this evening and degenerate into a post-tropical remnant low by Monday afternoon. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles (55 km) from the center, mainly over Long Island Sound. A sustained wind of 29 mph (47 km/h) and a gust to 42 mph (68 km/h) were recently measured by a private weather station at Orient Point on eastern Long Island. The estimated minimum central pressure based on nearby surface observations is 997 mb (29.44 inches). HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND ---------------------- Key messages for Henri can be found in the Tropical Cyclone Discussion under AWIPS header MIATCDAT3, WMO header WTNT43 KNHC and on the web at www.hurricanes.gov/graphics_at3.shtml?key_messages. RAINFALL: Henri is expected to produce storm total rainfall of 3 to 6 inches with locally higher amounts expected over portions of Long Island, New England, southeast New York, New Jersey, and northeast Pennsylvania Sunday into Monday. Isolated maximum totals of 10 to 12 inches are possible across northern New Jersey into southern New York. Heavy rainfall from Henri will continue to result in considerable flash, urban, and small stream flooding, along with the potential for additional minor to isolated moderate river flooding. For the latest rainfall reports and wind gusts associated with Henri at the following link: www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/discussions/nfdscc3.html WIND: Wind gusts to tropical storm force are possible along coastal areas of Connecticut and northern Long Island during the next few hours. SURF: Swells are expected to continue across much of the east coast of the U.S. and Atlantic Canada today and continue into Monday. These swells could cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions. Please consult products from your local weather office.

The National Hurricane Center will issue updates on Henri Sunday evening and overnight Sunday night.

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.