Some sun on Sunday; rain chances return this week

Some Minnesotans should cover their petunias Saturday night.

Temperature are expected to slip into the 30s in much of northern Minnesota late Saturday night/early Sunday morning.

The Grand Forks, ND office of the National Weather Service has issued a frost advisory for parts of northwestern Minnesota from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. Sunday:

rt0519frost3
NWS Grand Forks, ND

Details of the advisory:

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URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE

National Weather Service Grand Forks ND

334 PM CDT Sat May 19 2018

MNZ006-009-016-017-023-024-028-032-201300-

/O.NEW.KFGF.FR.Y.0001.180520T0900Z-180520T1300Z/

Lake Of The Woods-North Beltrami-North Clearwater-South Beltrami-

South Clearwater-Hubbard-East Becker-Wadena-

Including the cities of Baudette, Red Lake, Redby, Ponemah,

Bagley, Clearbrook, Bemidji, Alida, Ebro, Lake Itasca,

Long Lost Lake, Lower Rice Lake, Roy Lake, Upper Rice Lake,

Park Rapids, Wolf Lake, Wadena, and Menahga

334 PM CDT Sat May 19 2018

...FROST ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 4 AM TO 8 AM CDT SUNDAY...

The National Weather Service in Grand Forks has issued a Frost

Advisory...which is in effect from 4 AM to 8 AM CDT Sunday.

* TEMPERATURES...In the mid 30s.

* TIMING...Temperatures will drop into the mid 30s late tonight

and continue into early Sunday morning.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Frost Advisory means that widespread frost is expected.

Sensitive outdoor plants may be killed if left uncovered.

There can be frost at ground level when the official temp about 5 feet above the ground is in the mid to upper 30s.

Sunday morning lows in southern Minnesota and the Twin Cities metro area are expected to only drop into the 40s, so those areas should not see frost.

Temperature trends

Sunday afternoon highs will probably reach 70 degrees or the lower 70s in much of Minnesota:

rt0520h3

Far southern Minnesota and areas near the north shore of Lake Superior will top out in the 60s.

Looking ahead, Twin Cities metro area highs are expected to be around 70 on Monday, followed by upper 70s Tuesday and lower 80s Wednesday through Friday.

Rain opportunities

Most of Minnesota will see some sun and a few patchy clouds on Sunday.

Far southern Minnesota will have more clouds, and a chance of scattered showers, on Sunday.

Scattered showers are possible in southern and central Minnesota on Monday.

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

rt0519rad2
NOAA NAM simulated radar from Sunday morning through Monday evening, 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.

Much of Minnesota, including the Twin Cities metro area, will have a chance of scattered showers and an isolated thunderstorm Tuesday night into Wednesday.  We could also see some occasional showers and thunderstorms late Thursday into Friday.

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.