Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Still muggy Tuesday, but drier and cooler air is coming

We’re in for several settled days mid to late week

dews update
Forecast dew points 7 a.m. Tuesday through 1 a.m. Friday
European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, via Pivotal Weather

It’ll still be muggy Tuesday but dew points will drop overnight into Wednesday. We’ll have several consecutive days of cooler temperatures and lower dew points. 

Stormy past 24 hours 

It was a stormy 24 hours. There were numerous severe wind gust reports.

The highest wind gust reports in Minnesota were 76 mph in Stewartville (Olmsted County), 74 mph in Kasson (Dodge County), 70 mph in Owatonna (Steele County), 68 mph in Lake City (Wabasha County), and 65 mph in Shakopee (Scott County).

Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport reported a 60 mph gust.

Northern Iowa saw winds of 80 to 99 mph along U.S. Highway 18. While that storm likely qualified as a derecho, the Minnesota storm may not have had a long enough path length.

storm reports
Storm reports over the past 24 hours
National Weather Service

There was additional rainfall of mostly 1 to 2 inches across central and southern Minnesota, but when added to Sunday night’s totals, parts of far west-central Minnesota have seen 6 to 8 inches of rain!

In Stevens County, Chokio saw 6.19 inches Sunday night and an additional 2.02 inches Monday, making for a two-day rain total of 8.21 inches.

72 hr rainfall
Estimated rainfall over the past 72 hours
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, via Pivotal Weather

Humid air begins to retreat Tuesday night, making for pleasant days ahead

It’ll still be warm and muggy Tuesday with highs in the 80s across southern Minnesota and dew points in the 60s to near 70 degrees at times, but not as hot as the last couple of days. Dew points will be more comfortable north, in the 50s.

tue
Forecast highs Tuesday
National Weather Service

There will be a few lingering thunderstorms early Tuesday in southern Minnesota and the possibility of some isolated, pop-up thunder later in the day.

Another disturbance will develop more showers and storms across far southern Minnesota overnight Tuesday into early Wednesday. Some places along Interstate 90 could see up to 1 to 2 inches of additional rainfall.

tue-wed prec 808
Forecast simulated radar 7 a.m. Tuesday through 3 p.m. Wednesday
NOAA, via Pivotal Weather

An air quality alert also is in effect for the northern half of Minnesota Tuesday into Wednesday due to the return of wildfire smoke from Canada.

Check the latest air quality conditions, alerts and forecasts here:

Cooler and drier air finally arrives by Wednesday. Dew points will drop from the 70s and 60s into the 50s and even 40s in northern Minnesota. That dry air will stick around into the weekend. 

dews update
Forecast dew points 7 a.m. Tuesday through 1 a.m. Friday
European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, via Pivotal Weather

Highs Wednesday will be mostly in the 70s across the state with a mix of clouds and sun. Sunny skies develop for Thursday into Saturday.

wed
Forecast highs Wednesday
National Weather Service

There’s no sign of a return to 90-degree temperatures for the time being.