Pleasant Sunday temps, with scattered showers and thunderstorms; river flooding update

Sometimes average is downright nice.

Our Twin Cities high temperature Saturday afternoon was 82 degrees, just a wee bit above our average June 23 high temp of 81 degrees.

It was a nice summer day!

Temperature trends 

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Sunday highs will be in the 70s across much of Minnesota, with a few spots in the Twin Cities metro area and southeastern Minnesota topping 80:

rt0624h4

Parts of northeastern Minnesota will see highs in the 60s, and easterly winds might limit highs to the upper 50s right along the north shore of Lake Superior.

Twin Cities highs are expected to be in the mid to upper 70s Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday and Thursday look warmer, with metro area highs in the middle 80s. Friday will be humid, with a high close to 90.

Speaking of warmth, our average temperature (average of all the daily highs and lows) from May 1 through June 22 tied a record for warmth in the Twin Cities:

Rain opportunities

Parts of northern Minnesota saw scattered showers and thunderstorms Saturday afternoon, and those scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected to continue into this Saturday night.

Some scattered showers and thunderstorms could move into southwestern and west-central Minnesota as we go through the overnight hours of Saturday night.

Scattered showers and thunderstorms will probably move across central and southern Minnesota Sunday and Sunday night.

Periods of showers, with some embedded thunderstorms, are in the forecast for much of Minnesota and western Wisconsin Monday and Tuesday.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s North American Mesoscale forecast model shows the potential rain pattern Monday into Tuesday:

rt0623rad2
NOAA NAM simulated radar from Monday through Tuesday, via tropicaltidbits

The color chart to the right of the loop refers to the strength of the signal that returns to the radar, not to the amount of rain.

River flooding update

Flooding continues along many rivers in Minnesota.

Here’s the recent river flooding summary from the National Weather Service:

Flood Statement

National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN

1001 AM CDT Sat Jun 23 2018

...The flood warning continues for the following rivers in

Minnesota...

Cottonwood River at New Ulm affecting Brown County

Minnesota River at Mankato affecting Blue Earth and Nicollet

Counties

Redwood River near Redwood Falls affecting Redwood County

...The flood warning continues for the following rivers in

Minnesota..

Minnesota River at Henderson MN19 affecting Le Sueur...Scott and

Sibley Counties

Minnesota River near Jordan affecting Carver and Scott Counties

Minnesota River at Savage affecting Dakota...Hennepin and Scott

Counties

.Overview...

Area rivers continue to rise across Minnesota. Although no

significant precipitation is expected over the Minnesota or Mississippi

River basins this weekend, more heavy rainfall is possible next

week. This will possibly lead to additional rises.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Do not drive cars through flooded areas. Turn Around...Don`t Drown.

Stay tuned to NOAA Weather Radio or your local radio or TV station

for the latest information concerning this flood event.

&&

MNC037-053-139-242100-

/O.CON.KMPX.FL.W.0024.000000T0000Z-000000T0000Z/

/SAVM5.1.ER.180621T2045Z.180630T1200Z.000000T0000Z.NO/

1001 AM CDT Sat Jun 23 2018

The Flood Warning continues for

The Minnesota River at Savage.

* until further notice.

* At 9:00 AM Saturday the stage was 702.6 feet.

* Minor flooding is occurring and Minor flooding is forecast.

* Flood stage is 702.0 feet.

* Forecast...The river will continue rising to near 706.5 feet by

next Saturday morning then begin falling.

* Impact...At 705.0 feet...Flood waters begin to impact the park road

at Fort Snelling State Park.

* Impact...At 702.0 feet...Barge loading stops at Port Cargill, and

other flood prevention measures are begun. Water begins to impact

Black Dog Road in Burnsville.

* Impact...At 700.0 feet...Flood waters begin to cover trails at Fort

Snelling State Park as well as low parts on the Bloomington Ferry

Bridge trail just east of US 169.

The Twin Cities office of the NWS will update the flood warnings this evening and on Sunday.

Their web page has a map like this:

rt0623mpx2
NWS Twin Cities

The green-shaded areas have flood warnings for low-lying areas along the river, and you can click on the NWS map to get warning details.

You can also find graphical NWS updates on river levels for many spots around Minnesota throughout the day and night.

If the location of interest is not listed there, try the Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service page and click on a location for river level details and forecasts.

For example, here’s the hydrograph for the Minnesota River at Jordan:

rt0623jordan2
NOAA/NWS/USGS

River forecasts will be adjusted for additional rainfall.

Updated weather information can be heard on the Minnesota Public Radio Network, and updates are also posted on the MPR News live weather blog.

Programming note

You can hear my live weather updates on Minnesota Public Radio at 7:49 a.m. Thursdays and Fridays, and at 7:35 a.m., 9:35 a.m. and 4:35 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday.