Severe storms possible Wednesday followed by more comfortable air Thursday

It will be a steamy day Wednesday. After some scattered morning thunderstorms, the stage will be set for strong to severe storms later in the afternoon and evening.

Strong to severe storms possible Wednesday, then cooler 

Morning storms produced some hail in western Minnesota. Madison in Lac qui Parle County saw golf ball sized hail in the 6 a.m. hour and Watson received quarter-sized hail in the same time frame.

Get ready for a steamy day Wednesday. Highs will be warming well into the 80s with some low 90s possible in southern Minnesota. We’ll also have high dew points, in the 60s to even near 70 degrees. That could make it the most humid day so far this year.

It’s a messy and complex set up Wednesday. We’ll have some scattered morning storms and showers move through with afternoon sunshine, destabilizing the atmosphere again in central and northeastern Minnesota, especially.

The early thunderstorm activity Wednesday is largely developing in an elevated fashion, rather than surface based development, due to a low-level jet stream (winds at about 4,000 feet above the ground) transporting warmer, more humid air north.

The morning activity may take a bit of the punch out of southern Minnesota’s atmosphere, pushing the focus into central and northeastern Minnesota for the greatest severe threat later.

More storms will develop in the late afternoon and evening hours and track south and east.

There’s an enhanced risk (level 3 of 5) of severe storms with the afternoon and evening activity. Large hail (golf ball-sized), damaging wind gusts and isolated tornadoes are possible in some storms.

Behind the cool front, dew points will drop eventually Thursday and temperatures will be slightly cooler both Thursday and Friday. Highs will be in the low 80s south to 70s north.

Muggy air climbs back into Minnesota late Saturday and that will help create potentially more stormy weather late Saturday into Saturday night.