Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

June monsoon? Heavy rainfall potential for southern Minnesota later this week

Several inches of rain possible along and north of the I-90 corridor zone

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

Welcome to the wettest month of the year in Minnesota on average. Our monthly precipitation normal peaks in June. In the Twin Cities, the 30-year precipitation normal (1991-2020) for June is a soggy 4.58 inches!

We average 14 one-hundredths (.14) of an inch of precipitation per day this time of year in the Twin Cities. Of course, that typically falls every few days in June thunderstorms.

Our weather pattern will take a more typical summery and thundery June turn this week. Tuesday brings plenty of sunshine and warmer temperatures in the 80s to much of Minnesota.

Forecast high temperatures Tuesday
Forecast high temperatures Tuesday
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Then a warm front will stall across southern Minnesota along the Interstate 90 corridor between Wednesday and Friday. That front will be the focus of a few rounds of thunderstorms.

On the map below, the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts model shows rounds of showers and thunderstorms riding along the frontal zone between 7 a.m. Wednesday morning and 1 p.m. Friday.

European ECMWF model
European model between 7 a.m. Wednesday and 1 p.m. Friday
European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, via Pivotal Weather

The Twin Cities rides the northern edge of this zone. At this time it looks like the best chance for thunderstorms with heavy downpours in the Twin Cities arrives late Thursday night into Friday morning.

The European model cranks out between 2 and 5 inches of rainfall across most of southern Minnesota through Friday. (See the image at the of the post.)

Highs later this week will hover in the 70s across most of Minnesota.

Forecast high temperatures Thursday
Forecast high temperatures Thursday
NOAA

There’s still a chance the position of the warm front — and the heaviest rainfall zone — will shift as we move through thew week.

Stay tuned.

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