Minneapolis residents can expect a smorgasbord of weather conditions in the coming days, as sunshine gives way to storms and possible severe weather threats. According to the National Weather Service's forecast, today will be predominantly sunny with highs nearing 79 degrees, but change is on the horizon. By tonight, the likelihood of showers and thunderstorms increases to 60%, with some areas predicted to see between a tenth and quarter of an inch of new rainfall, and even higher amounts during thunderstorms. Southeast winds will blow at 5 to 10 mph, providing some mild relief to the building humidity.
As the system strengthens, the weather takes a turn for the volatile on Friday. The National Weather Service Minneapolis is forecasting "showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 3pm," followed by intermittent chances of showers and thunderstorms into the late afternoon. The chance of precipitation tops out at a staggering 90%, and gusts could peak at around 25 mph in some areas. Venturing into the weekend, conditions are expected to moderate slightly with a return to mostly sunny skies by Saturday and a high near 71, but showers may sneak back into the picture by nightfall with a 20 percent probability.
The oscillation between wet and dry, calm and stormy, persists through Memorial Day, with a 30 percent chance of showers amidst generally sunny skies. But the whims of Mother Nature extend beyond the inconvenience of sporadic rains; they bear the potential for severe weather today and tonight. Specifically, the existence of "isolated to scattered thunderstorms are possible" with "A few storms in western Minnesota may be strong to severe, with large hail and damaging winds the main hazards," as described by the National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN. They further caution that the "recent heavy rainfall will lead to rises on rivers and their tributaries," posing a continuing risk of river flooding as Memorial Day weekend approaches.
In their Hazardous Weather Outlook, the National Weather Service doesn't only single out the urban heart of Minneapolis but casts a wider net, alerting a vast swathe of central and southern Minnesota, as well as west central Wisconsin, to the brewing meteorological turmoil. Residents in these regions are instructed to stay vigilant, especially given the rise of rivers and tributaries that have already saturated lands from recent heavy rainfall, something which could cave into flooding by week's end. The forecasters have put the SKYWARN spotter community on notice, indicating that activation may be necessary this afternoon through, signaling that the region is on the edge of a knife, where the elements are concerned. This all paints a picture of a Memorial Day weekend where the weather, like memory itself, shifts from moments of brightness to showers that remind us of the grounds of our being—a land perpetually renewing, perennially in flux.
