Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Hopeful signs for much needed Minnesota rainfall over the next 10 days

Much cooler temps, a couple inches of rain possible through next week

NOAA 6 to 10-day temperature and precipitation outlook
Six to 10-day temperature and precipitation outlook
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

We need rain.

Our run of record warmth in a parched atmosphere has greatly increased fire danger across Minnesota. The explosive fires in northeastern Minnesota have consumed more than 20,000 acres as of early Tuesday.

Thankfully, the forecast models are strongly suggesting two main soaking rainfall events over the next 10 days. It may not be enough to quench the whole state, but many areas could see at least a couple inches of rain through next week.

The first system spins through Thursday with scattered showers and some thunderstorms.

NOAA FV3 model
Finite-Volume Cubed-Sphere Dynamical Core model between 1 a.m. and 7 p.m. Thursday.
NOAA, via Tropical Tidbits

Forecast models track another possible rainmaker through Minnesota in the middle of next week.

NOAA GFS model next Tuesday and Wednesday.
Global Forecast System model Tuesday and Wednesday next week
NOAA, via Tropical Tidbits

Forecast models vary as usual on the precise coverage and magnitude of rainfall through the next 10 days. On the map below, the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts model lays the heaviest rainfall across central and southern Minnesota.

European (ECMWF) model precipitation output 2
Precipitation output
European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, via Pivotal Weather

The European weather agency’s Artificial Intelligence Forecasting System model cranks out around 3 inches of rainfall through next week:

European ECMWF AIFS model
Artificial Intelligence Forecasting System model precipitation output
European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, via Pivotal Weather

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s oft-maligned Global Forecast System model shows another solution:

NOAA GFS model precipitation output
Global Forecast System model precipitation output
NOAA, via Pivotal Weather

There’s no way to be precise about where 2 to 3 inches of rain could fall through next week, but the signal is there for meaningful soaking rainfall for much of Minnesota in the next 10 days. That’s good news for farmers and for residents and firefighters in the wildfire zone.

Stay tuned.

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