Warm start to the week, then chilly temps later; thunderstorm chance Tuesday evening
Fall color update for leaf-peepers
It was good leaf-peeping weather across most of Minnesota and western Wisconsin this weekend.
Twin Cities high temperatures (measured at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport) were 64 degrees on Saturday and 69 degrees Sunday afternoon. Our average Twin Cities high is 62 degrees this time of year. High temps will continue to trend upward the next couple of days.
Temperature trends
Monday highs will reach the 70s in the metro area and southern Minnesota, with mainly 60s elsewhere:
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Tuesday afternoon highs will be mainly in the 70s, with 80s in southwestern and south-central Minnesota:
Some spots in the Twin Cities metro area could touch 80 degrees Tuesday afternoon. It’ll be breezy on Tuesday, but it’ll feel almost summery during the afternoon hours.
A cold front moves through Minnesota and western Wisconsin Tuesday night, so temps retreat for the remainder of the week. Twin Cities metro area highs are projected to be around 60 degrees on Wednesday, then around 50 Thursday followed by lower 50s Friday.
Thunderstorm chances Tuesday evening
An approaching low pressure trough and cold front could ignite some scattered thunderstorms late Tuesday afternoon, with a better chance of thunderstorms Tuesday evening.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s North American Mesoscale (NAM) forecast model shows the potential rain pattern from 6 p.m. Tuesday to 1 a.m. Wednesday:
Check forecast updates as we get closer to Tuesday evening, because the timing of our thunderstorm chances could change and a few spots could see a strong or severe thunderstorm.
On Wednesday, parts of Minnesota could see some scattered afternoon showers.
We have updated weather information for Minnesota and western Wisconsin on the Minnesota Public Radio News network, and on the MPR News live weather blog.
Fall color update
If you’re planning on doing some leaf-peeping this week, you won’t have to travel very far. Brilliant fall colors are visible in many parts of Minnesota.
I’ve spotted pockets of excellent fall color in the Twin Cities metro area the past few days. Some trees haven’t yet transitioned to their autumn hues, and a few trees have already dropped most of their leaves.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources fall color report for Minnesota State Parks and Trails looks like this:
When you look at fall color maps, keep in mind that all deciduous trees are included. The maples can be peaking in a given area when the overall changeover to fall color is 50 percent or less.
The Wisconsin fall color report can be found here.
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. Saturday and Sunday.