Another summery day; weekend shower chances for some

This will be our third consecutive day with highs in the 80s in much of central and southern Minnesota.

We're seeing summery weather, but I'm not hearing any complaints about mosquitos yet.

Here in the Twin Cities, our average temperature (which factors in the highs and the lows for each day) is running 6.2 degrees warmer than normal this May:

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NWS

So far this month, rainfall at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport is running sixty-three one-hundredths of an inch below normal.

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Temperature trends

Highs should reach the 80s this Friday afternoon in central and southern Minnesota, with mostly 70s in the north. There could be some 60s in the far northwest and also near Lake Superior.

Our average high temp is only 70 degrees this time of year in the Twin Cities metro area, so 80s are unusually warm!

A cool front wiggles through Minnesota overnight and on Saturday, so many areas will top out in the 60s, with lower 70s in the Twin Cities metro area and southeastern Minnesota:

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Lots of 60s are on tap for Sunday, with some lower 70s far north:

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The metro area could touch 70 on Sunday.

Twin Cities metro area highs are expected to be in the lower 70s on Monday, followed by upper 70s to around 80 Tuesday through Thursday.

Rain opportunities

Northwestern and north-central Minnesota have the best chance of showers and an isolated thunderstorm today. The rain chance spreads into central and northeastern Minnesota this Friday night.

The  Twin Cities metro area could see a shower late tonight.

Minnesota has a chance of occasional scattered showers and a few embedded thunderstorms Saturday and Saturday night.

Far southern Minnesota appears to have the best shower chance on Sunday, but I wouldn't rule out a Sunday morning shower in the Twin Cities.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's North American Mesoscale forecast model shows the potential rain pattern Friday afternoon through Sunday morning:

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NOAA NAM simulated radar from Friday afternoon through Sunday morning, via tropicaltidbits

Models don't paint an exact picture of spring and summer convection, so don't be surprised if a few scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms pop up in areas that look dry in the loop.

Severe weather is unlikely Saturday and Saturday night, and the Storm Prediction Center of the NWS has much of Minnesota in their general (non-severe) category for that period:

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NWS Storm Prediction Center

I hope that you have a great weekend!

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.