Stormy Monday afternoon may bring severe weather

A stormy Monday afternoon and evening is on tap, with the chance for severe weather primarily across western Minnesota. A cold front moving through the region will spark showers and thunderstorms, some of which could produce large hail and damaging winds.

Stormy start

It’s a stormy start to the week with Monday afternoon and evening shaping up to bring potentially severe weather.

Temperatures have climbed into the 80s and 90s, while dew points are rising into the upper 50s to low 60s, creating a warm and increasingly unstable atmosphere ahead of the storms.

Winds are already breezy out of the southwest, sustained at 10 to 20 mph with occasional gusts around 30 mph. These winds are ushering in warmer temperatures and higher humidity, setting the stage for potential severe storms later Monday.

This combination of heat and humidity is helping to fuel thunderstorm development ahead of an approaching cold front.

As a result, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Storm Prediction Center has placed parts of western and southwestern Minnesota under a slight risk (Level 2 of 5) for severe weather Monday.

Storms are expected to begin developing across western Minnesota between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

As they move eastward, these storms will likely become more linear in nature, forming lines of thunderstorms. These lines are forecast to reach the metro area between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.

However, the farther east these storms travel, the more stable the environment becomes, which may limit their intensity.

Stay alert to changing weather conditions Monday afternoon and evening, and be sure to check back here on the Updraft blog for the latest updates and information.