


Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Twin Cities, MN
Issued by NWS Twin Cities, MN
Versions:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
631 FXUS63 KMPX 160744 AFDMPX Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 244 AM CDT Wed Jul 16 2025 .KEY MESSAGES... - Scattered showers & thunderstorms through this afternoon, along with well-below normal temperatures. - Seasonably cool into this weekend with thunderstorm chances Friday night. - Warmer & more active pattern next week. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 222 AM CDT Wed Jul 16 2025 Thunderstorms have been gradually waning in intensity & rainfall rates overnight, diminishing the threat for any severe weather or localized flooding. We will see scattered showers and thunderstorms continue through the day as a surface low passes through the area, with more widespread coverage along the low`s track across southern Minnesota. Rainfall amounts will be lighter today compared to yesterday with additional amounts generally around 0.25-0.5", except across southeast Minnesota where some enhanced thunderstorm activity this afternoon will result in some 1-2" amounts. Temperatures will be a taste of fall this afternoon with widespread cloud cover & periodic precipitation keeping temperatures in the low to mid 60s this afternoon across much of the area. Again, the exception is across southeast Minnesota & western Wisconsin where warmest temperatures in the 60s are expected. Pleasant summer days are expected Thursday & Friday as cool canadian high pressure slides over the region. Highs will be in the low to mid 70s along with drier dewpoints, & extended-range smoke models do not indicate any dense concentrations of canadian wildfire smoke. Showers and thunderstorms look likely Friday night into Saturday morning as a weak shortwave passes over the area, but widespread strong thunderstorms or heavy rain looks unlikely. Another region of high pressure then keeps the weekend dry into Monday, with seasonably cool temperatures in the upper 70s to low 80s. Ensemble guidance continues to depict an anomalously strong ridge developing across the central plains & mid-missisiipi valley midweek through next weekend. We will likely miss out on the excessive heat & humidity under the ridge, but can still expect a return to above-normal temperatures & more humid conditions. Our placement on the northern periphery of the ridge places Minnesota & Wisconsin under a classic "Ring of Fire" pattern where a few shortwaves & organized thunderstorm complexes will will track along the periphery of the ridge. Models are notoriously poor at resolving these subtle features more than a day or two out, but a few chances for severe weather & heavy rain look likely somewhere across the Upper Midwest to end the week. && .AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z THURSDAY/... Issued at 1124 PM CDT Tue Jul 15 2025 RA/TSRA will slowly but surely fill in across central-southern MN through western WI through sunrise. TAF sites will experience intermittent bouts of precipitation followed by more steady rainfall close to sunrise, lasting for at least half of Wednesday. Conditions will drop to MVFR, mainly due to ceilings, and likely IFR, again mainly due to ceilings. However, TSRA with heavier rainfall may also drop visibility to IFR at times. Precipitation finally looks to wane Wednesday afternoon with VFR conditions likely by or during Wednesday evening. KMSP...VFR to start, but conditions will quickly drop to MVFR as individual convective cells move across MSP through the early morning hours. Closer to daybreak, the larger swath of rainfall over western MN will make its way east to encompass much of eastern MN, thus allowing for steady rain with a few embedded thunderstorms for the morning push. Rainfall will continue through mid-afternoon before diminishing going into the afternoon push, with dry conditions Wednesday evening. /OUTLOOK FOR KMSP/ THU...VFR. Wind NE 5-10 kts. FRI...VFR. Chc -TSRA after dark. Wind SE 5-10 kts. SAT...VFR. Chc -TSRA early morning. Wind SE bcmg N 5-10 kts. && .MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MN...None. WI...None. && $$ DISCUSSION...ETA AVIATION...JPC