Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Spotty thunderstorms possible Wednesday; warmer Thursday

3-day fcst
Forecast for the next few days for central Minnesota
National Weather Service

Areas of rain will continue to drift across southern Minnesota. More spotty showers and storms are possible in central Minnesota Wednesday afternoon. Thursday will be warmer.

Potential showers, thunderstorms Wednesday

Wednesday’s weather will be dominated by two main areas of rain showers. The first is a large area of rain drifting across southern Minnesota through the morning.

The next area to watch will be instability-driven Wednesday afternoon with spotty showers and thunderstorms possible in central Minnesota.

wed precip 640a
Forecast precipitation 6 a.m. Wednesday through 11 p.m.
College of DuPage weather lab

Earlier it had looked like one or two storms might become severe Wednesday afternoon across southern Minnesota but the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Storm Prediction Center has updated the risk and pushed it south into Iowa.

SVR update WED
A risk of severe storms remains mainly south in Iowa and southern Wisconsin Wednesday
National Weather Service

High temperatures will still be slightly below normal thanks to the cloud cover and areas of showers Wednesday. Most places will remain in the 70s for highs.

wed hi 8a
Forecast highs Wednesday
National Weather Service

Warmer temps Thursday

Temperatures will be warmer Thursday, back to normal levels with highs in the low to mid-80s south and upper 70s north.

thu hi 8a
Forecast highs Thursday
National Weather Service

There’s a chance of some isolated showers or thunderstorms mainly in northeastern Minnesota Thursday with much of the rest of Minnesota remaining dry.

POP THU
Forecast chance of rain Thursday
National Weather Service

Friday will bring a better chance of at least some spotty showers and thunderstorms especially in the eastern half of the state.

POP FRI
Forecast chance of rain Friday
National Weather Service

Update on potential auroras north

There could still be some slightly increased geomagnetic activity Wednesday night for some lucky viewers. A KP index of 4 is forecast, which means some aurora could be visible in far northern Minnesota and into Canada.

KP forecast
The aurora visibility forecast for Wednesday night indicates northern lights may only be visible in far northern Minnesota into Canada.
University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute

Space weather models are trying to handle what appears to be a lopsided ejection of material from the sun that originated early Monday, reaching earth Wednesday and Thursday.

Skies will not be clear but also not totally overcast across northern Minnesota. The cloud forecast loop below goes from 9 p.m. Wednesday through 5 a.m. Thursday. If activity pans out, the peak is forecast to be through about 4 a.m. Thursday.

clouds
Forecast cloud cover 9 p.m. Wednesday through 5 a.m. Friday
College of DuPage weather lab