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Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News
Ben Cathey

Flood watch, severe weather for central Minnesota Tuesday night

Several inches of rain could fall in thin band across central Minnesota

Flood threat central
High-Resolution Rapid Refresh model rainfall map through early Wednesday
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, via WeatherBELL Analytics

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There’s a risk of severe weather and flash flooding across a band of central Minnesota Tuesday night into Wednesday. Weather threats should ease after that but a heat dome builds back in for the weekend.

Heavy rain set for central Minnesota into Wednesday

Rain is expected across much of central Minnesota into Wednesday, including a band of very heavy rain stretching from the North Dakota-South Dakota-Minnesota border east to Wisconsin.

Flood threat central
High-Resolution Rapid Refresh model rainfall map through early Wednesday
NOAA, via WeatherBell Analytics

Expect a few isolated and lighter showers before dusk. The Severe weather risk and flooding threat is after 11 p.m.

The bull’s-eye for severe chances is near Wahpeton, N.D., and Fergus Falls, Minn. It’s similar to what we saw in Monday night’s worst storms.

heavy rain potential in southeast north dakota and west-central minnesota july 6 and 7 2026
Heavy rain potential in southeastern North Dakota and west-central Minnesota into Wednesday
Grand Forks, N.D., National Weather Service office

The flooding threat is in a fairly thin band from Wahpeton, N.D. into Minnesota, including Fergus Falls, Wadena, Little Falls, Brainerd and Sandstone. Somewhere in the vicinity of 1 to 4 inches of rain will fall in this area.

This training thunderstorm threat wraps up around 6 a.m. at the Wisconsin border.

We could get a few isolated and lower impact storms by the Twin Cities and up north, including Duluth. But it won’t be the same flood risk.

Heat builds

The active weather pattern does appear much quieter after that, but the heat dome builds back in this coming weekend.

Once some fog breaks on Wednesday temperatures will start warm and then move right back into the mid-80s.

High temps Wednesday
This is the raw output from the National Blend of Models for high temperatures on Wednesday.
National Weather Service

Wednesday is a lot drier. Thursday and most of Friday are also really dry and a little bit cooler. Outdoor plans look extra nice on Thursday.

While the rain threat is low this weekend, it looks to be much hotter with mid-90s for highs across much of the state.

We could be even hotter, although shy of state records, heading into the middle of next week.