Clearing skies by Monday afternoon; another round of rain Monday night

After a cloudy and drizzly start to the work week, conditions will steadily improve through Monday afternoon and evening. Expect increasing sunshine as the day progresses, with temperatures climbing into the 60s.

Beneficial rain

Rainfall amounts on Easter Sunday were plentiful across eastern and southeastern Minnesota, providing a boost in our spring drought situation. Here are some of the rainfall totals in inches:

• Caledonia, 2.18

• Rochester, 1.72

• St. Paul, 0.93

• Mahtomedi, 0.90

• Eagan, 0.77

• Hopkins, 0.76

• Fridley, 0.75

Sunshine and 60s

A sliver of cloud cover lingers over eastern Minnesota late Monday morning, while clearer skies are already making their presence known out west. A glance at the visible satellite shows sunshine on the move, steadily advancing across the state.

Temperatures will be quick to warm across western parts of the state, climbing into the mid to upper 60s thanks to earlier sunshine. Eastern Minnesota will stay a bit cooler, with readings in the 50s, while the metro area edges into the low 60s by afternoon.

As quickly as the last system moves out, another band of showers and thunderstorms is expected to develop ahead of a warm front Monday night into Tuesday.

Expect showers to reach the Twin Cities region in the overnight, early morning hours. In northern Minnesota, showers will linger into Tuesday afternoon. Rainfall amounts will be lighter with this round, generally around a few tenths of an inch.

Skies will clear from southwest to northeast on Tuesday, allowing central and southern Minnesota to warm into the 60s and 70s. Lingering cloud cover and showers will keep northern Minnesota cooler, with temperatures remaining in the 50s.

We’ll stay in an active weather pattern, with multiple opportunities for precipitation throughout the work week. The Climate Prediction Center’s six to 10-day outlook indicates above-average chances for rainfall during this period.