Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Super soaker: Multi-inch rainfall Monday; sunnier days ahead this week

About an inch fell across the Twin Cities with 2 to 4 inches falling to the west

Rain gauge at the Weather Lab on Monday
Rain gauge at the Huttner Weather Lab in the southwestern Twin Cities on Monday.
Paul Huttner | MPR News

It’s an April super soaker across Minnesota to start the last week in April.

A slowly moving, low-pressure storm dumped soaking to heavy rainfall around most of our state. Doppler radar is seeing an estimated wide zone of 2 to 4 inches of rainfall west of the Twin Cities area through central Minnesota.

Many locations around the Twin Cities have seen an inch of rain. Areas in the western and northern Twin Cities have soaked up more than 1.5 inches in many areas.

The good news on a rainy Monday? The rain in southwestern Minnesota and in parts of the north are falling on drought areas, so this will help ease some of that drought going forward.

Drought monitor update for Minnesota
Drought conditions in Minnesota
National Drought Mitigation Center

Silver linings, people.

Sunnier days ahead

Our weather takes a sunnier turn the next few days. Temperatures will remain on the cool side for late April.

Forecast high temperatures Tuesday
Forecast high temperatures Tuesday.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The normal high for April 28 in the Twin Cities is 62 degrees.

We warm gradually through the upcoming weekend. Look for plenty of sun and milder temperatures.

Forecast high temperatures Saturday
Forecast high temperatures Saturday
NOAA

This spring in Minnesota is taking its time to unfold. Temperatures have run a few degrees either side of normal for April.

The longer range outlook for May continues to favor even odds for temperatures above and below normal through May.

Temperature outlook
Temperature outlook for May 2026
NOAA

Many years we seem to whiplash from snow to instant 80s in April. Could we have a good old-fashioned gradual spring season in Minnesota this year?

Stay tuned.