We’re looking at a soggy Saturda in the Twin Cities, but one that includes some breaks in the rain. As of my writing this (about 8:30 a.m.) we’re in one of those dry periods, with rain sliding north at the moment. Here’s the radar view as of 8:30 a.m.:
Today is our “big” rain day, with a heavier round still possible across Minneapolis/St. Paul by afternoon.
Here’s a look at future radar as we head through the day, starting at around noon:
Note the lull in rain up through midday, with just some sprinkles or mist. I circled, in the image below, the beginnings of our next rain chance for the day. If we fast-forward to around 3-4 p.m. you can see the heavier rain arriving:
One thing to note, as an aside, is the line of storms from eastern Iowa into Missouri starting to sprout at this hour. There’s a strong potential for severe weather in that area.
You can see how those storms line up, as they pull in warm, moist, air, with the Storm Prediction Center’s severe weather outlook for today:
Unfortunately, there’s a significant threat for strong storms from Iowa into much of Illinois and portions of Indiana. Looking at a forecast sounding (soundings record temperature, dewpoint, and wind with height, typically recorded by a weather balloon), you can see low-level surface winds from the southeast, with upper level wind from the west/southwest, creating a differential that with enough lift could create a tornado-producing storm.
Stay tuned, and share this risk with folks in those areas most likely to be impacted!
Also, stay inside (or walk/bike/etc. outside) and stay well!
