Showers at times Sunday; recap of weekend rain totals
Near-normal temps this week
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Most of Minnesota was either abnormally dry or in drought on the U.S. Drought Monitor report that was posted last Thursday.
We had some welcome rain in parts of Minnesota Saturday and Saturday night. Here’s the rainfall map from 7 a.m. Saturday to 7 a.m. Sunday:
Some areas received between 1 and 3 inches of rain, with a few higher reports in northwestern Minnesota.
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport tallied 43 one-hundredths (.43) of an inch. I had 71 one-hundredths (.71) of an inch in St. Paul. Park Rapids in central Minnesota came in with 1.91 inches and Fairmont in southwestern Minnesota reported 1.58 inches.
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The Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network, a volunteer observer network, posted this 24-hour rainfall plot:
It shows 24-hour rainfall totals of 1.2 inches in Minneapolis, 1.84 inches in Plymouth and 2.64 inches in Watertown. Maple Plain came in with 2.03 inches. You can pan and zoom the map at the linked site to get info for your area.
Isolated thunderstorm chance Sunday
A low-pressure system to our east will move slowly away Sunday, so the best chance of thunderstorms will shift into parts of Wisconsin.
We’ll have areas of wrap-around showers in Minnesota Sunday with an isolated thunderstorm also possible. It won’t be raining all day but it will be raining at times.
You can hear updated weather information for Minnesota and western Wisconsin on the MPR News network. You can find the latest radar here.
You can also check these National Weather Service sites for updated weather info: Twin Cities, Duluth, La Crosse, Wis., Sioux Falls, S.D., Grand Forks, N.D.
Monday rain chance is lower
Any rain in Minnesota on Monday will be more spotty than Sunday’s showers.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s North American Mesoscale (NAM) forecast model shows the potential rain pattern from 4 a.m. Monday to 9 p.m. Monday:
NOAA’s High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) model shows a similar rain pattern for that same time span:
Temperature trends
The average June 25 Twin Cities high temperature is 82 degrees. Metro area highs will probably stall out in the lower 70s this Sunday afternoon. Much of north-central and northeastern Minnesota will have Sunday highs in the 60s, mainly 70s elsewhere.
Monday highs will be primarily in the 70s, but a few spots in far western Minnesota could top 80 degrees:
Twin Cities metro area highs are projected to be in the lower 80s Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, then around 80 on Friday and Saturday.
The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center shows a tendency for above-normal temps next Sunday and into the following week:
Air quality alert up north
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has issued an air quality alert for northern Minnesota that will continue until 9 a.m. Monday:
Here are details of the alert, from the MPCA:
Air quality alert expanded due to wildfire smoke for northern Minn. through Monday, June 26 at 9 a.m.
Air quality is expected to reach orange in northern Minn., which is unhealthy for sensitive groups.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has issued an air quality alert for northern Minn. for fine particulate, effective Saturday, June 24, through Monday, June 26, at 9 a.m. The affected area in northern Minn. includes Bemidji, East Grand Forks, International Falls, Two Harbors, Hibbing, Ely, Duluth, Roseau, and the tribal nations of Red Lake, Leech Lake, Grand Portage, and Fond du Lac.
Northerly winds are bringing smoke from wildfires north of the Canadian border in Ontario into northern Minn. This batch of smoke will be heavier and more persistent closer to the Canadian border, while the southern portion of the alert area may see occasional smoke. Smoke will continue over northern Minn. through early Monday. People should keep windows shut to prevent smoke from entering. Smoke will circulate around the northern periphery of a low-pressure area heading eastward through Minn. Some smoke may linger on Monday, but concentrations should fall below orange.
Fine particle levels are expected to be in the orange AQI category, a level that is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups. In the orange area, sensitive groups should avoid prolonged time outdoors.
Programming note
You can hear my live weather updates on MPR News at 7:39 a.m., 9:39 a.m. and 4:39 p.m. today.
