MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Twin Cities commuters should plan for a soggy, slow-moving day on the roads, with the National Weather Service warning of rain, gusty winds and low visibility through the morning and afternoon drives.
Rain has already spread across the metro this morning and is expected to continue for several hours, with low visibility and low cloud ceilings making for reduced sight lines on area highways.
Drivers should leave extra space and slow down, especially where standing water collects on roadways.
Winds will pick up through the afternoon, with east gusts reaching 20 to 25 mph. That combination of wind and rain could make for a rough evening commute as well, particularly for high profile vehicles on exposed stretches of freeway.
The metro is expected to pick up 1 to 2 inches of rain today. While the heaviest flooding threat tonight is focused farther south, near the Iowa border, periods of rain and patchy fog will linger into the overnight hours before tapering off early Saturday.
Anyone heading out early Saturday morning should also watch for lingering fog and drizzle before conditions clear.
Here's the full NWS foreacst from the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport:
Today: Rain before 1pm, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 1pm. Patchy fog after 10am. High near 61. East southeast wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.
Tonight: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 1am, then rain likely, mainly between 1am and 3am. Patchy fog before midnight. Low around 57. East wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.
Saturday: A 30 percent chance of rain, mainly between 9am and 1pm. Cloudy, with a high near 65. East northeast wind 10 to 15 mph.
Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57. Northeast wind around 10 mph.
Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 70. East northeast wind 10 to 15 mph.
Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 53. East northeast wind 10 to 15 mph.
Monday: A 20 percent chance of showers after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 63. East northeast wind around 10 mph.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 48. East northeast wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 64. East wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 46. East wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 66. Calm wind becoming east southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 49. Calm wind.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 69. Calm wind becoming south southeast around 5 mph.
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