Waves Of Rain The Next Several Days

Forecast loop from 7 PM Wednesday to 7 PM Friday.

A few waves of showers and storms are expected as we head through the next couple of days across the region.

A few storms tonight across northern and far southwestern Minnesota could be on the strong side. Damaging winds and large hail will be the primary threats.

A few of the storms out in western Minnesota could be strong to severe on Thursday, with hail and wind the main threats.

The severe weather threat Friday is mainly to the south of Minnesota, but a Marginal Risk does creep far enough north to the I-90 corridor. Again, hail and wind are the primary threat from severe storms - but a few tornadoes can't be ruled out across portions of Iowa.

Rain will continue into the Fishing Opener on Saturday (more on that below) - and that could be the day that we actually see some of the heaviest rain across southern Minnesota, with 1-2" alone from Friday Night through Saturday. Throughout this entire upcoming period of showers and storms (through the weekend), some places of southern Minnesota could see upwards of 2.50" of rain.

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The best chance of storms Thursday is in the morning across southern Minnesota - otherwise, some slower-moving pop-up storms could occur at times in the afternoon and evening hours. Temperatures will range from the 60s along parts of the North Shore to around 80F in southern Minnesota.

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For the Fishing Opener on Saturday, I am expecting at least scattered showers and thunderstorms across much of the state. Some of this rain could be heavy. The areas that see the least amount of rain could be in the Arrowhead. Highs will range from the 50s along the North Shore to the 70s in southern Minnesota.

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A few showers will remain in place across southern Minnesota for Mother's Day Sunday, mainly during the morning hours. Even once the showers move out, mainly cloudy skies are expected to stick around, with sunnier conditions up north. Those conditions will lead to the warmest temperatures in northern Minnesota (70s) with cooler temperatures farther south (60s). Some 50s will be possible along the North Shore where breezy conditions off the lake keep temperatures cooler.

A Sunny Gift For Your Favorite Mother?
By Paul Douglas

A thoughtful Mother's Day gift for my bride of 39 years? Wait, a sunny day doesn't count? Younger people have the right idea: experiences are more meaningful than more landfill-worthy "stuff". Last night we went to a downtown restaurant followed by "Hamlet" at the Guthrie. Both amazing.

When asked, many moms seem to want a good night's sleep, maybe a day off or a spa day? Get creative.

Big news for Saturday's Fishing Opener. The model TREND is to keep spiral bands of showers over the Dakotas most of the day, with rain over southern Minnesota by Saturday night. The weekend storm is tracking farther south and west, and we may escape with a dry, breezy, lukewarm fishing Saturday for metro lakes and Brainerd lakes as well. Take a sturdy jacket if you're heading north: I see 60s central MN; 50s up north with winds gusting to 30 mph.

In the meantime T-storms prowl the state today, but Friday looks sunnier and warmer.

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Paul's Extended Twin Cities Forecast

THURSDAY: Unsettled, few T-storms. Wake up 61. High 76. Chance of precipitation 70%. Wind SE 8-13 mph.

FRIDAY: A sunnier, drier, warmer day. Wake up 62. High 80. Chance of precipitation 20%. Wind E 10-15 mph.

SATURDAY: Windy, few nighttime showers (south). Wake up 60. High 75. Chance of precipitation 40%. Wind E 15-25 mph.

MONDAY: Sunny and mild. Wake up 47. High 75. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind NW 10-20 mph.

TUESDAY: Partly sunny, cooler breeze. Wake up 54. High 71. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind N 10-20 mph.

WEDNESDAY: Blue sky, no complaints. Wake up 47. High 74. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind SW 8-13 mph.

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Minneapolis Weather Almanac And Sun Data
May 11th

*When do we see 15 Hours of Daylight?: May 20th (15 hours, 1 minute, 45 seconds)
*Earliest Sunrises Of The Year: June 13th-17th (5:25 AM)
*Earliest Sunsets Of The Year: June 21st-July 2nd (9:03 PM)
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This Day in Weather History
May 11th

1915: A waterspout is seen on Lake Mills.

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On Thursday, scattered areas of showers and storms are expected from the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest to the Southern Plains and Deep South. A few snow showers will be possible in the Rockies as well. Otherwise, quiet weather is expected from New England into the Mid-Atlantic, and in the western United States east of the Rockies.

3"+ of rain will be possible through the end of the work week across portions of the Plains south to the Houston metro. A foot or more of snow will be possible in the Colorado Rockies.

For Mother's Day Sunday, we'll be watching showers and storms west to east from the Four Corners to the Mid-Atlantic, and north to south from the Great Lakes to the Southern Plains. Storms will also be possible in southern Florida. Record heat is expected in the Pacific Northwest and near Atlanta.

As we head toward Mother's Day weekend, excessive heat is expected across the western United States. Numerous record highs will be possible in the Pacific Northwest, especially on Sunday. In Portland, the earliest 95F+ high on record was on May 17, 2008 - so we could see the new earliest this weekend.

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Florida and Louisiana are borrowing hundreds of millions of dollars to cope with hurricane insurance claims

The Deadly Mystery of Indoor Heat

More from HeatMap: "If the last few weeks are any indication, this summer is going to be a scorcher. In Spain and Portugal, April temperatures reached record highs. A heat wave swept through Asia, killing dozens on the Indian subcontinent; temperatures in the region hovered around 110 degrees Fahrenheit for days. The United States saw records break throughout the Northeast and Midwest, with temperatures into the 90s. And that's just how hot it was outside. Inside is a completely different story — one we know far less about. Heat is the deadliest extreme weather phenomenon in the United States, and when the outside world is boiling, the advice is often pretty simple: get inside. But the majority of heat-related deaths happen indoors, and, unlike the satellites and weather stations that can measure outdoor temperature, we have very little data on just how hot our homes are getting."

Early Wildfires, Heat Waves Show Grim Signs of Global Climate Crisis

More from The Energy Mix: "An early, aggressive wildfire season in Alberta, alarming, summer-like temperatures in parts of the Mediterranean, scorching, road-melting heat to South Asia, and torrential rain causing deadly floods in Congo-Kinshasa, are all signs this spring of anthropogenic climate change and a "grim augur of things to come." Relatively cooler weather is helping the more than 1,000 firefighters battling blazes across the northern and east-central parts of Alberta, but the province remains in a state of emergency and has asked the federal government for military assistance. Nearly 30,000 people have been displaced from their homes, and several precious structures have been lost to the flames, with small Indigenous communities reporting significant losses, reports CBC News. As of Tuesday morning, 89 wildfires were burning across the province, 24 of them deemed out of control. The Globe and Mail says that nearly 400,000 hectares have been burned so far this year, compared to 417 hectares this time last year."

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Thanks for checking in and have a great day!

- D.J. Kayser