Prompts winter weather advisories as cold air moves in Friday night

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We’re enjoying a beautiful but slightly smoky summer day this Tuesday. Temperatures will hit the 80s across most of central and southern Minnesota Tuesday afternoon.

We’re getting some sunshine across Minnesota, but you can see an elevated smoky haze above. Air quality here at ground level is in the good to moderate range across most of Minnesota Tuesday: 

See that smudge of thicker smoke at ground level in North Dakota? Some of that may filter into Minnesota Wednesday. 

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s High-Resolution Rapid Refresh smoke output shows the trend between 7 p.m. Tuesday and 7 p.m. Wednesday:

Air quality forecasts currently call for moderate readings for most of this week, but we’ll have to watch that smoky smudge in North Dakota.

A warm front will stall across central and southern Minnesota Thursday and Friday. We may see a few showers starting Wednesday. 

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s High-Resolution Rapid Refresh model shows lighter rainfall echoes between 1 p.m. Wednesday and 7 a.m. Thursday.

Heavier rainfall in thunderstorms is more likely Thursday into Friday. 

The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts model forecast loop below shows rainfall trends between 1 p.m. Wednesday and 1 p.m. Friday.

Forecast models Tuesday have shifted the heaviest rainfall zone northward to include the greater Twin Cities area. The European model cranks out a band of between 2 and 5 inches across much of central and southern Minnesota through Friday. Here’s another look:

Your farm, garden or lawn may get a free heavy watering by Friday evening.

Stay tuned as we monitor heavy rainfall trends this week.

Weather and Climate News

Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Paul Huttner

Author

A slowly moving front could trigger thunderstorms with heavy downpours Thursday and Friday. 

Heavy rainfall potential shifting toward Twin Cities Thursday and Friday

European (ECMWF) model precipitation output

Heavy rainfall potential shifting toward Twin Cities Thursday and Friday

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