Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Cooler Thursday with more showers possible Friday. Warm weekend ahead

thu hi 9a
Forecast highs Thursday
National Weather Service

Updated 9:45 a.m.

Most of the state will be slightly cooler Thursday. Friday brings another chance of spotty showers. The weekend is looking rather warm with highs near 80 on Sunday for some.  

Slightly cooler Thursday with spotty showers developing Friday 

Southern Minnesota will see a few lingering light rain showers or sprinkles Thursday morning. It will also be slightly cooler Thursday for southern and eastern Minnesota. We’ll see a fair amount of sun through patchy clouds, especially southern Minnesota. While cooler than the last few days, temperatures won’t be far off from normal.

THU T ANOM
Forecast temperature anomalies (departure from normal) Thursday
NOAA via pivotal weather

A clipper-type upper level disturbance swings through the state Friday, creating the chance for some spotty showers and a few thunderstorms, but also helping to kick out the lingering unsettled weather of the last several days. 

fri prec 9a
Forecast precipitation 4 a.m. Friday through 1 a.m. Saturday
NOAA via pivotal weather

Saturday looks mostly dry and warmer with highs back in the 70s for southern Minnesota. Sunday will be even warmer with highs approaching 80 for southern Minnesota. 

sun hi 8a
Forecast highs Sunday
National Weather Service

A weak cool front moving through Minnesota could touch off an isolated shower or thunderstorm, but any activity will be sparse and brief. Overall it looks like a pleasant and rather warm Mother’s Day. 

sun prec 8a
Forecast precipitation 1 p.m. Saturday through 7 p.m. Sunday
European Centre for Medium range Weather Forecasting via pivotal weather

Minnesota’s drought sees continued improvement

We made more progress on the drought in the past week. The latest drought monitor saw the elimination of severe drought from the state finally. Last week it was about 11 percent of the state.

drought 05-09
The latest drought monitor valid with data through 7 a.m. May 7, 2024
National Drought Mitigation Center

All of Minnesota saw decent rainfall in the past seven days that went into this drought monitor report.

7 day QP
7 day rainfall from April 30 through May 7
WeatherBELL Analytics

North central and northwest Minnesota continue to see some of the lighter rainfall amounts so those areas remain in moderate drought from about Cass Lake through Bemidji up into Roseau.

drought compare 05-09
Comparison of this week's drought monitor to last week's
National Drought Mitigation Center

Moderate drought remains in portions of southern Fillmore and Mower counties as well in southeast Minnesota.