Thursday stays soggy for eastern Minnesota

A persistent storm continues to move a soaking rain across Minnesota Thursday, which is also keeping temperatures from cooling or warming much.

Thursday’s forecast

The storm that brought a slow-moving band of soaking rain across Minnesota Wednesday is still making its slow trek eastward Thursday morning.

As of 7 a.m., western Minnesota is now out of the rain, central Minnesota is getting in the lighter/less persistent rain area, and the core of the rain is moving over eastern Minnesota.

The funnel of moisture that had been a direct flow from the Gulf of Mexico is getting cut off more on Thursday, so the south-to-north precipitation line will be lessening as it continues its slow march east. That means although the rain is not expected to completely clear east of the state until late Thursday, activity will get much spottier in eastern Minnesota in the afternoon and evening.

Additional rainfall in eastern Minnesota is likely to be a quarter-inch or less in most spots. Some locations in central and southern Minnesota have already received over an inch of rain with the storm.

The western edge of Minnesota should start to see a few peaks of sunshine by late Thursday. Otherwise skies remain mostly cloudy.

There is also some dense morning fog along the Red River Valley and the border of North Dakota.

Temperatures dropped little again overnight due to all the moisture, so the state is starting Thursday in the 40s.

Where rain is clearing, most highs will make it into the 50s. In eastern Minnesota (including the Twin Cities), but where rain persists most of the day, temperatures barely warm, with highs stuck in the 40s.

The extended forecast turns much drier, but next week also holds the coldest air so far this season.

That forecast will be updated around 9 a.m.

Programming note

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