Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Rain and wind coming late Saturday-Saturday night; turning much cooler next week

Our second weather system in as many days has been spinning up across the Dakotas this Saturday afternoon. Large areas of rain have spread quickly into a large part of northwestern Minnesota and part of the west central.

Oct 27 - gfk radar
Weather radar at approximately 5:00 p.m. on Saturday. Grand Forks National Weather Service

Rain will race rapidly eastward into east central Minnesota Saturday evening and then into Wisconsin overnight.

Oct 27 - mpx radar
Rain advancing rapidly eastward across Minnesota at approximately 5:00 p.m. on Saturday. Chanhassen National Weather Service

Isolated thunderstorms are possible as this system intensifies Saturday evening. Some lightning developed over North Dakota by late afternoon and has been increasing in coverage.

Oct 27 - ltng
Lightning at approximately 5:00 p.m. on Saturday. Vaisala Corp.

Blustery wind Saturday night

Storm intensification will lead to a very tight pressure gradient resulting in powerful winds on the back side of this storm. The southwesterly wind will become northwesterly and really hum, first in west central Minnesota Saturday night and then advancing eastward across southern Minnesota later in the night and for Sunday morning.

Wind advisories have been posted for a large area beginning at midnight in the west and continuing through Sunday morning farther east.

Oct 27 - wind adv 2
Wind advisories posted for Saturday night and Sunday morning. National Weather Service

Winds in the advisory area are likely to gust to 45 or 50 mph at times. Some places in west central, southwestern and south central Minnesota could easily experience gusts in excess of 50 mph. That is enough wind to blow around lawn furniture and other loose lightweight items.

Winds will be lighter in the Twin Cities area where more buildings and trees reduce the speeds but gusts over 30 mph might be enough to wake you.

Sunday

Sunday will start with a windy morning. But winds should diminish some as we get into the afternoon. Skies will clear gradually from west to east. Look for afternoon high temperatures from the mid 40s north to the mid 50s in the south. The Twin Cities should reach about 54.

Mild Monday

Monday looks like the nicest day in the foreseeable future. A south wind should warm temperatures to a range of from the upper 40s in the north to near 60 in the south. I am looking for a high near 58 in the Twin Cities. A few scattered showers might break out in northernmost Minnesota.

Then turning cooler and cooler

Tuesday and Wednesday will be a bit cooler.

Then the cooldown will gather pace for the latter part of the week Thursday through Sunday. Some Twin Cities highs might struggle to make the low 40s.

No shoveling is expected in the near term.