TWIN CITIES, MN — The overcast skies hanging over the metro Monday morning will give way to steady rain and rumbles of thunder by midday, with the temperature sliding from the upper 50s down to around 56 degrees by 3 p.m.
A southeast wind building to 15 to 20 mph will gust as high as 35 mph, the kind of wind that snaps dead tree limbs, flips open patio umbrellas and knocks the occasional branch into power lines.
A quarter to half inch of rain is expected by evening, enough to pool on underpasses and low intersections that flood every time the metro gets a hard rain.
The storms will not let up when the sun goes down. Showers and thunderstorms continue overnight, mainly before midnight, adding another tenth to quarter inch of rain, with heavier bursts possible under any stronger cell.
The National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center points to a strengthening frontal system pulling moisture up from the south, the same pattern already triggering flash flood warnings farther west across the Plains this week.
By Tuesday morning, the rain is gone. Sunshine returns, the wind eases and the high climbs to near 71 degrees, with a mostly clear night dropping to around 51. That calm holds through midweek before another round of showers moves in by the weekend.
Here's the full NWS forecast for the Twin Cities metro area:
Monday: Rain and thunderstorms build through the morning and turn steadier by afternoon, with the temperature falling to around 56 by 3 p.m. Southeast wind 15 to 20 mph, gusting to 35 mph. Rain chance 100 percent, with a quarter to half inch expected.
Monday night: Showers and thunderstorms continue, mainly before midnight, with a low around 60. Wind shifts southwest after midnight and can still gust to 30 mph. Rain chance 80 percent.
Tuesday: Sunny, high near 71, with a west northwest wind around 15 mph.
Tuesday night: Mostly clear, low around 51, wind becoming light and variable overnight.
Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers after 1 p.m., otherwise partly sunny with a high near 69.
Wednesday night: A 30 percent chance of showers before 1 a.m., mostly cloudy, low around 56.
Thursday: Partly sunny, high near 74, light northeast wind around 5 mph.
Thursday night: A 40 percent chance of showers after 1 a.m., mostly cloudy, low around 58.
Friday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm, mostly cloudy, high near 72, 70 percent chance of rain.
Friday night: Showers likely before 1 a.m., then a chance of showers and thunderstorms, mostly cloudy, low around 58, 60 percent chance of rain.
Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mostly cloudy, high near 72.
Saturday night: A 20 percent chance of showers, mostly cloudy, low around 55.
Sunday: A 30 percent chance of showers, partly sunny, high near 72.
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