Rain is on its way. Cooler air for the weekend ahead
It will be milder Thursday before cooling off Friday
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Thursday will be briefly warmer ahead of the next cool front and disturbance that will develop much need rain showers later today. Cooler air returns for Friday and Saturday.
Much needed rainfall develops Thursday, though not a ‘drought buster’
After a chilly Wednesday and early Thursday morning, it will be milder Thursday ahead of the next cold front set to sweep across Minnesota. Highs will be back in the 60s for southern Minnesota and in the 50s north. Those readings are 10-15 degrees above normal once again.
The big story for Thursday is the arrival of a widespread rainfall. It won’t be a “drought buster,” as most of us are behind by several inches of rain, but it’s something. Scattered showers will develop in west-central Minnesota midday Thursday and track east in the late afternoon and evening.
Rainfall will be modest (mostly under one-quarter inch), but it will be the first measurable rainfall in the Twin Cities officially since Sept. 19 when we had only 0.03 inches. This could be the biggest rain since late August.
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Temperatures cool back down to closer to normal for Friday and Saturday with some frosty nights again, too.
Warmer air returns early next week with highs back in the 70s likely for southern Minnesota.
Drought continues to expand
Today’s rain comes at a critical time for the region. The latest drought monitor shows continued expansion of drought.
Roughly 86 percent of Minnesota now is in at least moderate drought. Of that, 43 percent of Minnesota is now in severe drought. These are increases from 72 percent and 28 percent respectively just one week ago.
Many areas of the state are behind by as much as 4-6 inches of rain for the past 60 days.