Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

First significant rain in 3 weeks for parts of Minnesota falls into Tuesday night

Light to moderate rain for most of Minnesota fades overnight.

NOAA FV3 model 2
NOAA FV3 model rainfall output through Wednesday morning.
NOAA via pivotal weather.

It’s a soggy Tuesday for much of Minnesota.

The first significant rainfall in more than three weeks is brining light to moderate showers across most of our state this Tuesday. The last significant rainfall for the Twin Cities area happened on September 21. MSP Airport recorded 0.93 inches of rainfall that day.

Tuesday’s weather system will be lighter than that in most areas. Forecast models show the main wave of rain pushing through Minnesota Tuesday evening and ending gradually from west to east overnight into early Wednesday. Here’s NOAA’s FV3 model between 4 p.m. Tuesday and 1 a.m. Wednesday.

NOAA FV3 model
NOAA FV3 model between 4 p.m. Tuesday and 1 a.m. Wednesday.
NOAA via tropical tidbits

A few more scattered quickly passing rain showers are likely early Thursday morning and again on Friday. But overall precipitation looks light. Little rain will fall in northern Minnesota with between 0.25 inches and 0.50 inches likely in the south.

Warm October so far

We’ve been enjoying a second September across Minnesota so far this month. Temperatures through Monday are running about 9 degrees warmer than normal this month in the Twin Cities. All of Minnesota is running significantly warmer than normal so far this month.

Temperature departure from normal
Temperature departure from normal in October.
Midwest Regional Climate Center.

Our latest cooling trend continue Wednesday with highs in the 50s in most areas.

Forecast high temperatures Wednesday
Forecast high temperatures Wednesday.
NOAA

But milder air pushes in one more time Thursday into Friday. Highs will reach the 70s in most of central and southern Minnesota.

Forecast high temperatures Thursday
Forecast high temperatures Thursday
NOAA

Another cool front arrive Friday. We may hit the 70s once again Friday, but cooler air in the 60s will pour south by Friday evening. Right now, those high school and Gopher football games Friday night feature a chance of rain showers and temperatures cooling through the 60s.

Temperatures
Forecast temperatures for 7 p.m. Friday.
NOAA

Stay tuned.