Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Warm start to May; more 70s ahead this week

Occasional spring showers possible this week

Finally, spring.

Temperatures in the Twin Cities are running 2.4 degrees warmer than average through the first week of May.

I hope you enjoyed our stunningly beautiful Sunday and Monday, so far. The high reached 76 degrees Sunday in the Twin Cities with abundant sunshine and light winds.

As of this post, the temperature hit 73 degrees Monday at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

Temperatures Monday afternoon
Temperatures Monday afternoon.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Federal Aviation Administration

Temperatures are cooler in the northern half of the state. Highs will hover in the 50s and 60s up north Monday afternoon.

Forecast high temperatures Monday
Forecast high temperatures Monday
NOAA

Highs will return to the 70s again Tuesday across Minnesota.

Temperatures Tuesday afternoon
Temperatures Tuesday afternoon
NOAA

Wednesday looks even warmer, with highs closer to 80 degrees across southern Minnesota Wednesday afternoon.

Forecast high temperatures Wednesday
Forecast high temperatures Wednesday
NOAA

Scattered showers, thunderstorms possible

Precipitation patterns look less clear across Minnesota this week. Weak weather disturbances will spark a few scattered showers and thunderstorms. But forecast models vary widely on rainfall timing and coverage.

Here’s an example. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s NAM 3 km model keeps most of Minnesota dry through Monday evening, but it develops a small shower and thunderstorm cluster over the Twin Cities and southward along Interstate 35 around midnight Monday to 2 a.m. Tuesday.

NOAA NAM 3 km model
North American Mesoscale 3 km model between 7 p.m. Monday and 2 a.m. Tuesday
NOAA, via Tropical Tidbits

Overall we’ll see many more dry hours than rainy hours this week.

A bigger low-pressure system will bring more widespread rainfall later this week into the weekend. But milder-than-average temperatures will persist.

Stay tuned.