Thursday’s rain followed by cold air

Another round of heavy rain in southeast Minnesota and parts of northeast Iowa will be tapering off Thursday night and behind it, colder air is set to move in Friday. Rainfall totals will again exceed an inch in some locations by the end of Thursday, and there may be some brief ponding and flooding in areas prone to run-off. Do not cross any roadways that are covered with water.

Temperatures have been well above average recently, including today, and we are in for a shock to the system with a big pool of colder, Canadian air coming our way Friday. This is the first of a couple waves of colder air. Friday’s high temperature will likely occur at or around Midnight, and temperatures are not likely to get out of the 30s during daylight hours Friday. Same goes for Saturday. There is yet another push of cold air arriving Saturday, and that system will also bring the season’s first snowflakes to some in southern Minnesota and northern Iowa. Exact timing of when snow will start is still in question, but looks to primarily be later in the day Saturday into Saturday night and very early Sunday morning. If there is any accumulation, it should mostly stay in grassy areas and will remain less than an inch.

Chilly air will linger for awhile and will be the staple of our weather diet through the middle of next week, possibly a bit longer. Daytime highs will be in the 30s and overnight lows in the 20s until Thursday and Friday when highs begin nudging 40 degrees again, which is still below average.