Strongest storms and severe risk favor afternoon hours

Highest severe risk favors southeast Minnesota and Wisconsin

Severe weather risk areas Monday pm
Severe weather risk areas Monday.
NOAA/Twin Cities National Weather Service

A cold front is sparking scattered rain and thunder across Minnesota Monday.

Many of the rain cells will be garden variety showers and thunderstorms. But a few may reach severe limits with large hail and damaging winds Monday afternoon. There is also a small but nonzero risk of tornadoes.

Remember you can see up to the minute severe weather information on the MPR News severe weather live blog.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Storm Prediction Center paints the risk zones for eastern Minnesota and Wisconsin.

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Severe weather risk areas
Severe weather risk areas.
NOAA/Twin Cities National Weather Service

Here’s the picture for northeast Minnesota from the Duluth National Weather Service office:

Forecast for northeast MInnesota
Forecast for northeast MInnesota.
Duluth National Weather Service

Locally heavy rainfall

The slow-moving front will drop some locally heavy rainfall. Many of us will see up to an inch of rain Monday. Some areas will see as much as 1 to 3 inches, especially north of the Twin Cities. That’s good news for drought areas.

Rainfall forecast
Rainfall forecast
NOAA/Twin Cities National Weather Service

Fall-like week ahead

Sunday was the 27th day of 90-degree heat for the Twin Cities. That’s the most in nine years since we logged 31 days of 90s in 2012.

The rest of this week feels much more like September behind Monday’s cool front. Highs will be in the 60s for most of this week, with a few 70s later in the week for southern Minnesota.

Forecast high temperatures Tuesday
Forecast high temperatures Tuesday
NOAA

Frost is likely in parts of northern Minnesota this week.

Temperatures may again approach 80 degrees from the Twin Cities into western Minnesota by next Sunday and Monday.