Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Red flag warning in effect: Hot, dry, and windy conditions

Unseasonably hot temperatures persist through midweek

Red flag warning
Red flag warning
NOAA via Pivotal Weather

Unseasonably warm temperatures continue to grip the region, with highs soaring into the 80s and 90s—more typical of June than early May. The heat, combined with low humidity and strong southerly winds, has prompted red flag warnings across much of the state.

Red flag warning

Hot, windy, and dry conditions are a dangerous combination when it comes to fire weather. A red flag warning remains in effect for the vast majority of the state through 10 p.m., with a fire weather watch already issued for Monday. That watch is expected to be upgraded to another red flag warning once the current warning expires.

Red flag warning
Red flag warning
NOAA via Pivotal Weather

Overnight lows will remain mild, dipping into the 50s and 60s, while blustery south winds continue through Sunday night.

Lows for Sunday night
Lows for Sunday night
National Weather Service

Monday brings another hot, breezy, and dry day, with temperatures once again climbing into the 80s and 90s.

Highs on Monday
Highs on Monday
National Weather Service

It’s a repeat performance on Tuesday and Wednesday, as the stagnant weather pattern holds steady through midweek.

Rain relief

Much-needed rainfall looks increasingly likely from Thursday into Friday as a shift in the weather pattern begins to take shape. Moisture from the Gulf will return to the region, and an approaching low-pressure system out of the Rockies could deliver widespread, beneficial rain.

Rainfall totals between half an inch and over an inch are possible by Friday night, bringing a welcome dose of moisture to our dry region.

Quantitative precipitation forecast through next Friday
Quantitative precipitation forecast through next Friday
NOAA via Pivotal Weather