Prompts winter weather advisories as cold air moves in Friday night

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It’s been a remarkable recovery. Last fall 100 percent of Minnesota was mired in drought or abnormally dry conditions.

But a regular parade of storms this year has erased drought in just about all of Minnesota. The sixth wettest April-May on record this year erased drought across most of our state. 

The state is about 98 percent drought-free as of this week’s U.S. Drought Monitor update. 

Minnesota’s state average rainfall for May 2024 was a soggy 5.25 inches. That’s good enough for the ninth wettest May on record. Much of Minnesota picked up twice the normal rainfall in May.

, my MPR News colleague, elaborates on our drought-busting spring in this week’s 

Welcome to June, Minnesota! Our first weekend of meteorological summer brings summery weather.

After a cloudy start Saturday, most of the weekend brings a mix of sun and a few clouds. The best chance for rain and thunderstorms arrives Sunday evening in western Minnesota and around or after midnight Monday morning in the Twin Cities and the east. 

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Global Forecast System model shows the likely pattern Saturday into Monday morning:

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center paints a sight risk for severe storms late Sunday in western Minnesota and a marginal risk further eastward:

Here’s a closer look at central and southern Minnesota:

Highs Saturday will run mostly in the 70s.

Highs Sunday will push into the 70s to around 80 degrees.

Another thunder chance arrives Monday night into Tuesday.

June is our wettest month of the year on average in Minnesota. The Twin Cities average precipitation for June is 4.58 inches. 

Weather and Climate News

Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Our wet spring has virtually erased drought conditions in Minnesota — 98 percent of Minnesota is now drought-free.

Drought-busting spring; summery weekend ahead

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