Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Humid air returns along with chances of showers and storms

Heavy rainfall is possible over the weekend

dews thu-sat
Forecast dew points 7 a.m. Thursday to 7 p.m. Saturday
European Centre for Medium range Weather Forecasting via pivotal weather

Humid air is moving back into the region Thursday into Friday. The increased moisture combined with several disturbances will also increase the chance for showers and thunderstorms. 

Humid air moves back in, bring the increased chance of showers, storms 

A cluster of spotty, ongoing showers in eastern South Dakota and southwest Minnesota will continue to drift eastward and largely fizzle out. That general area of instability will potentially spawn more spotty thundershowers this afternoon and evening across south central and east central Minnesota into western Wisconsin later Thursday.

prec 642
Forecast simulated radar 6 a.m. through 9 p.m. Thursday
College of DuPage Weather

While it won’t be warmer than the last couple of days, it will be more humid. Afternoon highs will be in the 70s and 80s, with the warmest readings in western Minnesota where things will clear out quicker.

thu 644
Forecast highs Thursday
National Weather Service

Dew points will continue to increase Thursday into Friday, bringing back tropical, low 70s dew points. 

That tropical moisture will help fuel more chances at storms in the coming days. Storms will also develop in eastern North Dakota and northwest Minnesota Thursday evening and overnight. While there could be ongoing spotty storms in eastern and southeastern Minnesota into early Friday morning.

thu nt fri 956
Forecast simulated radar 9 p.m. Thursday through 9 p.m. Friday
NOAA via pivotal weather

Storms that develop Thursday night in northwest Minnesota could become strong. There’s a slight risk (level 2 of 5) for severe storms there into Thursday night. The risk is marginal (level 1 of 5) elsewhere.

SPC Thu
Severe weather outlook for Thursday into early Friday
NOAA, via Iowa Environmental Mesonet of Iowa State University

We’ll need to monitor where things setup and additional forecast models to see which area has the potential for the heaviest multiday rainfall totals. Through Monday, it’s possible to see several inches of total rainfall somewhere in central Minnesota and western Wisconsin.

QPF
Forecast potential rainfall through Monday
European Centre for Medium range Weather Forecasting via pivotal weather

There’s a slight excessive rainfall risk for east central Minnesota into western Wisconsin Friday into early Saturday:

WPC Fri night
Excessive rainfall outlook for Friday into early Saturday
NOAA, via Iowa Environmental Mesonet of Iowa State University

In the meantime, Friday will be quite steamy across southern Minnesota and potentially Saturday, too, if morning showers and clouds clear out quickly enough. Some areas will be in the upper 80s to near 90 degrees for highs both days.

fri heat
Forecast highs and heat indices Friday afternoon
National Weather Service

The pattern remains unsettled into early next week as the humid air and instability lingers.