Strong storms, and then smoky skies

Strong to severe thunderstorms are rolling through parts of southern Minnesota and northern Iowa this afternoon. Another round remains possible late this evening and very early Friday morning. We’ll have any watches and warnings right here online and on-air. When there aren’t storms in your vicinity, it’s going to be mostly sunny, warm, and humid. Temperatures are back into the 80s today and will be again tomorrow and this weekend. Our best chances for rain are today and tomorrow, while any chance of rain Saturday looks to stay very isolated.

Summer warmth continues through the weekend and into early next week. By the middle of next week, highs will climb back into the upper 80s and lower 90s. It’s still a bit in question how long that heatwave is going to last, but it could be around at least a few days, possibly longer.

An Air Quality Alert is in effect for all of Minnesota from Friday morning through Saturday. Wildfire smoke will be back, this time from wildfires in Alberta and British Columbia. The surface-level smoke looks like it might be at its worst Saturday, but it won’t be great Friday, either.