Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Summerlike weather ahead after morning fog Thursday

Highs in the 80s with chances of thunder this weekend

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Forecast average temperature anomalies (departure from normal) the next 5 days
WeatherBELL Analytics

After morning fog burns off Thursday, look for partly cloudy skies and highs mostly in the 70s. Above-normal temperatures persist into next week. 

Warm weather continues with some thunder chances this weekend 

There are dense fog advisories for much of eastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin through 11 a.m. Thursday.

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Dense fog advisories through 11 a.m. Thursday
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, via Pivotal Weather

After we burn through morning fog Thursday, we’ll see partly cloudy skies and a warm day. Afternoon highs will be in the 70s for most with some low 80s in southwestern Minnesota and slightly cooler conditions right near Lake Superior. 

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Forecast highs Thursday
National Weather Service

Friday will be even warmer and sets us up for several consecutive days of highs in the 80s for southern Minnesota into next week. 

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Forecast highs Friday
National Weather Service

We’ll see the first of a few disturbances touch off some spotty showers and thunder for mainly northern Minnesota late Thursday into Friday while the central and southern parts of the state remain mostly dry and see more sunshine. Southern Minnesota could see some late-day showers or thunder on Friday.

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Forecast precipitation 3 p.m. Thursday through 11 p.m. Friday
NOAA, via Pivotal Weather

The weekend will be quite warm with highs well into the 80s and some isolated thunder chances to the west. We could see highs near 90 degrees in southern Minnesota Saturday and Sunday.

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Forecast highs Sunday
National Weather Service

As an upper-level trough digs in to the west, the chances of more widespread showers and thunder could increase Sunday night and Monday. The warm stretch of weather, however, lingers into next week. 

Minnesota is drought-free, Canada is not

Minnesota was able to rid itself of drought this summer thanks to heavy rainfall. The latest U.S. Drought Monitor report for Minnesota shows 19 percent of the state abnormally dry, but no drought. This is up from 14 percent last week.

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Latest drought conditions for Minnesota
National Drought Mitigation Center

Canadian authorities, however, report much of central and western Canada remains in severe or extreme drought. The widespread drought conditions helped lead to wildfires that produced smoke and air quality alerts for Minnesota much of this summer.

canada drought
Drought conditions in Canada as of Aug. 31
Government of Canada

If Canada heads into winter with this much drought remaining in place, it could be another rough spring and summer in 2026.