Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Sunshine and 60s Thursday followed by thunderstorms and snow

Marginal risk for severe weather Friday

Highs for Thursday
Highs for Thursday
National Weather Service

A calm before the storm Thursday with filtered sunshine and temperatures rising into the 50s and 60s.

By Friday, highs will soar into the 70s and 80s before the next system arrives, bringing a threat of severe weather to the south, accumulating snow to central Minnesota and the potential for ice up north.

Warm Thursday and Friday

High temperatures on Thursday will warm into the low 60s south, mid to upper 50s for central portions, and 30s and 40s north.

Highs for Thursday
Highs for Thursday
National Weather Service

Mild lows are expected Thursday night as we drop once again into the 40s in central and southern Minnesota.

Lows for Thursday night
Lows for Thursday night
National Weather Service

A tight temperature gradient will setup across the state on Friday, ranging from the 30s in the north to 80s in the south! This tight temperature gradient is called a baroclinic zone.

Highs for Friday
Highs for Friday
National Weather Service

Plenty of moisture will surge northward with the warm front, causing dew points to rise into the 50s, which is considered humid for this time of year.

Dewpoint temperatures Thursday 1 p.m. to Friday 1 p.m.
Dewpoint temperatures Thursday 1 p.m. to Friday 1 p.m.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration via College of DuPage weather lab

Ice and snow for northern Minnesota

A band of snow is expected to set up just north of the Canadian border Thursday night. Areas north of the border could see 6 plus inches, and areas farther south 3 to 6 inches.

Possible snow accumulation
Possible snow accumulation
National Weather Service

Icing will be a concern with this system for the border areas and along the North Shore, where freezing rain could lead to hazardous conditions. Ice accumulations of a few hundredths of an inch to a one-quarter inch are possible.

Ice potential
Ice potential
National Weather Service

A winter storm watch and winter weather advisories will go into effect late Thursday night ahead of the approaching system.

Winter storm watch and winter weather advisory
Winter storm watch and winter weather advisory
National Weather Service

Severe weather threat Friday; rainy Saturday

Friday will stay mostly dry until late evening. Areas south of the warm front will be the main focus for strong to potentially severe storms.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Storm Prediction Center has issued a marginal risk for severe weather with the primary threats being large hail and strong winds.

Marginal risk for severe weather
Marginal risk for severe weather
Iowa Environmental Mesonet, Iowa State University

Rain showers will intensify throughout Saturday, with the potential for one-half inch to 1.5 inches of rain, providing much-needed relief to the current drought situation.

Quantitative precipitation forecast
Quantitative precipitation forecast
NOAA Weather Prediction Center

Cold air will wrap into the second system, causing rain to transition into snow, primarily across central Minnesota, by Saturday night.

Forecast precipitation Saturday morning through Sunday morning
Forecast precipitation Saturday morning through Sunday morning
NOAA, via Pivotal Weather