Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Rain chances ramp up late Sunday, with heavy rain possible overnight

Rain lingers into Monday morning in some areas

The most recent U.S. Drought Monitor report, which was released Thursday, showed drought covering 80 percent of Minnesota.

Parts of Minnesota saw meaningful rain on Friday, but most of us could use some rain. We do have rain in the forecast.

Rain chances increase

Parts of southern Minnesota have seen patchy Sunday morning showers, and a few scattered showers will be possible into early afternoon in southern Minnesota and parts of central Minnesota. Twin Cities metro area shower chances look fairly low into early afternoon.

A larger wave of rain is expected to affect more of Minnesota and possibly parts of Wisconsin later Sunday afternoon. There could be a few embedded thunderstorms too.

Periods of rain are likely Sunday evening, overnight Sunday night and into Monday morning in southern and central Minnesota and portions of Wisconsin. There will be some embedded thunderstorms at times.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s High Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) forecast model shows the potential rain pattern from 8 p.m. Sunday to noon on Monday:

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NAM model simulated radar from 8 p.m. Sunday to noon Monday
NOAA, via Tropicaltidbits.com

NOAA’s High Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) model shows the following rain pattern for that same time period:

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HRRR model simulated radar from 8 p.m. Sunday to noon Monday
NOAA, via Tropicaltidbits.com

NOAA’s Finite Volume Cubed Sphere (FV3) forecast model shows the following rain pattern from 8 p.m. Sunday to noon on Monday:

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FV3 model simulated radar from 8 p.m. Sunday to noon Monday
NOAA, via Tropicaltidbits.com

Rainfall totals Sunday evening through Monday morning could be in the 1 to 2-inch range across much of central and southern Minnesota and portions of Wisconsin.

You can hear updated weather information for Minnesota and western Wisconsin on the MPR News network. Also check out the MPR News display of National Weather Service radar.

You can check these National Weather Service sites for updated weather info: Twin CitiesDuluthLa Crosse, Wis., Sioux Falls, S.D., and Grand Forks, N.D.

Tuesday and early Wednesday look dry in the Twin Cities, with shower and thunderstorm chances returning late Wednesday into Wednesday night.

Severe weather outlook

The NWS Storm Prediction Center shows a marginal risk (darker green) of severe weather Sunday afternoon through Sunday night in southwestern and south-central Minnesota:

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Severe weather outlook Sunday afternoon through Sunday night
NWS Storm Prediction Center

Marginal risk means that an isolated severe thunderstorm is possible.

Cooler temps

Sunday high temperatures are forecast to reach the lower 70s across most of Minnesota and western Wisconsin. There will be some 60s in parts of southwestern and south-central Minnesota.

Most of Minnesota will have highs in the 70s on Monday:

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Monday forecast highs
National Weather Service

There will be some 60s in southeastern Minnesota and into Wisconsin.

Tuesday highs will return to the 80s in most areas:

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Tuesday forecast highs
National Weather Service

Twin Cities metro area highs are projected to reach the mid 80s on Wednesday, then around 80 on Thursday followed by mid 80s on Friday

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. each Saturday and Sunday.