Residents of Minneapolis and parts of central and southern Minnesota, as well as west central Wisconsin, should keep an eye on the sky this afternoon and into the evening. The National Weather Service anticipates isolated thunderstorms traveling across the region later today. According to the report released by the NWS Twin Cities/Chanhassen, MN, "Severe weather is not expected, but a few storms could produce gusty winds."
Alongside the storm forecast, a sharp shift in wind is on the horizon. Coming in briskly behind the cold front, the western and southern parts of Minnesota will witness strong northwest winds. It has been predicted that we could see gusts reaching up to 40 mph late this Thursday, especially traveling across the vast sky.
Looking ahead, the outlook for the following days from Friday through Wednesday seems to be more reassuring, as no hazardous weather is expected, according to the Hazardous Weather Outlook. SKYWARN spotters, typically on alert for severe weather conditions, will not be needed during this period.
As for today's immediate weather, Minneapolis is set to experience increasing clouds with a high near 62 and a west wind traveling at 5 to 10 mph. The chance of precipitation stands at 40%, escalating this evening with a 90% chance of showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 10 pm. Later at night, as people tuck themselves into bed, the southeast wind will be shifting northwest and might gust as high as 30 mph, as per the detailed daily forecast by the National Weather Service.
