Mild temps today; showers possible later this week
Monday's sunshine boosted temperatures into the 60s and 70s during the afternoon and similar temperatures are expected today.
Looking ahead to the weekend we see a cool down, with temperatures dropping a little below normal. This five-day forecast is for the Twin Cities region.
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As the rule through the warmer months, temperatures are lower along the shores of the Great Lakes.
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Thunderstorms that erupted on Sunday deposited generous rainfall on parts of western Wisconsin. Eau Claire picked up an inch of much needed moisture. Hudson was doused with 1.9 inches of rain in less than a half hour.
You can see where the shortfall of precipitation is of concern to the agricultural community heading into the growing season.
The Twin Cities National Weather Service has posted the reports they received on Sunday of hail that moved through east central Minnesota and western Wisconsin.
Hail of up to 1.5 inches in diameter pelted Chaska, Minn., and parts of north Minneapolis.
How do you react to severe weather warnings?
Social scientists have studied people's responses to weather warnings during major severe weather events. They have concluded there is a general process, but a variety of responses.
Hear: Receive an announcement/broadcast/alert that a storm is imminent.
Understand: Process the information with some attention to details (strong winds, hail, possible tornado).
Personalize: This storm is headed for my location.
Respond: Take shelter or wait and see how bad it gets.
In many cases the response is based on previous experience, i.e., last week the storm didn't affect me, so no need to seek shelter. In some cases, people seek shelter by direction of others.
What I have seen in my weather career is that listeners need to confirm the storm warning from multiple sources (switching the dial, using different apps) or actually observe the storm before moving to safety.
As we move through severe weather season assume personal responsibility for your safety and then pick it up a notch by educating others who may be unaware of the approaching storm.
The best chance for showers and scattered thunderstorms appears to arrive Wednesday and Wednesday night. Currently, the intensity of the storms is expected to remain below severe limits (1 inch diameter hail/wind gusts to 58 miles per hour or greater).
