Wintry mix spreads across Minnesota

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We’re watching for storm initiation along a passing cold front Monday.

Afternoon temperatures have reached 90 degrees across parts of southern Minnesota. Temperatures are much cooler in the 70s in northern Minnesota behind the cold front. 

Dew points have edged into the sticky 60s. That means there’s plenty of heat and enough moisture in the atmosphere for scattered storms later Monday. A cold front sliding southward through the Twin Cities late this afternoon will be the focus for storms. 

Several short-range forecast models develop scattered storms along the front late Monday. The most likely scenario is for scattered storms to develop near or just south of the Twin Cities as the front passes through between about 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. 

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Weather Research and Forecasting model shows a solution that’s typical for many forecast models for Monday: Storms develop near the Twin Cities, then slide south and east into the evening. 

The loop below runs between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. Monday evening.

 paints a slight risk for severe storms from the Twin Cities area to the south and east through this evening. Here’s the risk zone again: 

Here’s the technical discussion from NOAA for our region.

So keep an eye out for possible severe weather watches and warnings late Monday afternoon and evening. 

The primary storm threats are large hail and damaging winds. Hopefully, some of us will get lucky and get under cells that produce significant downpours and much-needed rainfall in the drought zone.

A reminder we’ll carry severe weather warnings on KNOW 91.1 FM in the greater Twin Cities area and on MPR network stations around Minnesota as they occur.

Weather and Climate News

Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Paul Huttner

Author

There’s plenty of heat and enough moisture in the atmosphere for scattered storms Monday afternoon and evening. That includes a slight risk for severe storms from the Twin Cities area to the south and east through the evening.

Strong to severe storms likely later Monday in southern Minnesota

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