Rainy end to the week with showers, thunderstorms likely, some possibly strong

Showers and thunderstorms will be likely in two waves on Friday with the potential of some strong thunderstorms especially in the afternoon and evening.

Rain will come to an end by midmorning as the first wave pushes east out of the area. Clouds, with some pockets of sunshine, are possible from late morning to midafternoon before a cold front slides through which will pop another round of showers and thunderstorms.

It’s that second round that could lead to some stronger thunderstorms. It will be dependent on how quick the atmosphere can recharge after the morning round, so the threat remains conditional.

The higher chance of severe weather is mainly confined to north Iowa where the Storm Prediction Center has a Level 2 of 5 risk. Further north in southeast Minnesota, the severe threat is nonzero, where a Level 1 of 5 risk is in place. The main threats would be strong wind and hail along with some heavier downpours.

The timing of any stronger thunderstorm development will mainly be in the 3:00 PM to 9:00 PM timeframe.

Showers and thunderstorms will wind down Friday evening with much of the area dry by midnight with clouds clearing late in the night.

High temperatures will climb into the low-to-mid 70s. It’ll also be a humid day as dew point temperatures spike into the upper 60s and lower 70s. The wind will also ramp up with gusts up to 35 MPH at times.