A delightful Monday, then a chance of storms

The weekend certainly was a summer treat with seasonal temperatures and pleasant humidities. Today will be the reward for those folks who might have worked on the weekend but now have Monday off.

Today

Patchy high clouds have spread eastward ahead of a collapsing thunderstorm complex over South Dakota. A few showers have advanced across the border into west central Minnesota around Ortonville and Madison.

August 15 - FSD radar
Sioux Falls, SD, National Weather Service radar image around 7 a.m. this morning.

Today's forecast is for patchy clouds, a few scattered showers and thunderstorms in western Minnesota, high temperatures in the upper 70s to low 80s and not too much humidity. The Twin Cities should be partly cloudy with a high around 83 this afternoon.

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The big weather story nationally will continue to be the catastrophic flooding in Louisiana. Other, more-localized, flooding is possible farther northeast as the plume of subtropical moisture stretches from the Texas Gulf Coast to Michigan.

August 15 - Monday fcst wx map
Forecast surface weather map for today. NOAA Weather Prediction Center

A chance of storms tonight and tomorrow

There will be a greater chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms across Minnesota tonight and tomorrow. Tomorrow also is when more humidity will return.

August 15 - MPX wx story
The best chances of rain this week will be on Tuesday and Friday.

Some storms could become severe late Tuesday afternoon or evening, mainly from the metro area to points south.

August 15 - Tuesday severe outlook
There is a marginal risk of severe weather in central and southern Minnesota later tomorrow. NOAA Storm Prediction Center

Wednesday

Wednesday should be a warm, muggy, storm-free day with lots of highs well into the 80s.

August 15 - Wed fcst map
Forecast surface weather map for Wednesday. NOAA Weather Prediction Center

Thursday-Friday

Change will begin to come our way on Thursday thanks to an approaching cold front from the northwest.  Strong thunderstorms are likely to break out in northwestern Minnesota Thursday afternoon and evening.

The risk of strong or severe storms will shift farther southeast and include the Twin Cities metro area on Friday.

Next weekend

After the cold front clears the state, next weekend will be decidedly cooler and drier. High temperatures should be mainly in the 70s with fall-like dew points in the 40s and 50s.