Hot, windy Thursday; rain, cooler weather arrive Friday

We have one last hot, muggy day Thursday with the addition of wind. Showers will develop ahead of a cool front in northern Minnesota late Thursday with storms possible. Friday will be cooler with showers south.

Hot, windy ahead of cool front

It’ll be a hot one Thursday with temperature flirting with 90 across much of southern Minnesota. Gusty south winds will blow ahead of a cool front as well. Winds will be sustained at 10-25 mph with higher gusts.

winds THU — Forecast wind gusts Thursday
College of DuPage

We also have wildfire smoke persisting in the skies over Minnesota. Moderate air quality issues have developed so those with sensitive conditions should take some precautions.

The yellow circles represent places with an AQI (Air Quality Index) above 50. Green indicates cleaner air with AQI values under 50.

Turn Up Your Support

MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all.

smoke map THU — Smoke map with air quality sensors: green is good/healthy air, yellow is moderate, orange and red are low/poor air quality
AirNow, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Showers Friday followed by a cool weekend

The cooler air moving in Friday will touch off showers and thunderstorms for northern Minnesota late Thursday evening. Some storms could be strong to severe in northeast Minnesota. A marginal risk (level 1 out of 5) of severe weather is forecast.

SPC risk Thu — Severe weather outlook for Thursday shows a marginal risk (level 1 out of 5) across central and northeast Minnesota
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Storm Prediction Center

The front and showers will be rather slow moving. Showers will arrive in central Minnesota including the Twin Cities by Friday morning. The area of rain will still linger in southeastern Minnesota Saturday.