MPR News Chief Meteorologist Paul Huttner signs off

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It’s a tale of two wind directions for Minnesota this summer. 

The south wind brings us steamy (but generally smoke-free) tropical air masses. Temperatures Friday afternoon hit the 90s in southeast Minnesota and we made it to 90 degrees for the 11th time this year in the Twin Cities. That’s about average for an entire year in the Twin Cities with several more weeks of summery weather still ahead.

Dew points have surged well into the steamy 70s all the way to the Iron Range and to the oppressive 80s in southeast Minnesota. Here are some select temperature and heat index values late Friday afternoon.

       Location               Temperature  Heat Index

The heat advisory was dropped early for the Twin Cities area Friday. It will still be very warm and steamy out there through Friday night.

A cool front in the eastern Dakotas slicing into our unstable tropical air mass will spark strong storms overnight. NOAA’s HRRR model is typical of many that develop a line of storms in western Minnesota around 6-7 p.m. Friday. The line will track eastward through central Minnesota likely reaching the Twin Cities through Duluth areas after midnight.

There is a slight risk for severe storms across most of Minnesota overnight into early Saturday. Stronger cells will be capable of producing damaging winds, large hail, torrential downpours and a vivid lightning show overnight.

Stay alert for possible severe weather watches and warnings in your area. This will be a good night to have the NOAA weather radio fired up.

The north wind this summer brings smoky skies to Minnesota.

But Saturday looks pretty good with mixed sunshine and highs in the 70s north to 80s south.

The next wave of wildfire smoke looks likely to drift across Minnesota Sunday into Monday. Air quality Sunday looks poor in the north and not great in the south.

They got some rain in some of the fire zones in Canada this week. So there’s uncertainty in how thick and long-lasting the next wave of smoke will be. That’s why MPCA is holding off on an air quality alert for now until they get a better picture of smoke distribution and thickness Saturday.

Here the latest forecast discussion from MPCA.

Weather and Climate News

Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Paul Huttner

Author

A cool front will spark strong storms across Minnesota overnight into early Saturday morning. Then more Canadian wildfire smoke looks likely by Sunday.

Storms overnight; next wildfire smoke wave by Sunday?

Go Deeper.

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