Intense heat in Minnesota later this week along with the risk for severe storms
There's more clarity on the pending heat wave set we first wrote about on Saturday.
According to forecasters from the Twin Cities office of the National Weather Service, the heat will ramp up into the mid-80s across southern Minnesota on Thursday and then it will really get going on Friday, with a high of 95 in the metro area and a heat index value of up to 105 degrees.
Of course, this is still days away and things could change, but the NWS is confident enough at this point that they're putting out graphics showing just how hot they expect it'll be.
The heat is expected to last through the weekend – maybe a bit cooler than it will be on Friday – but anything beyond that is rather unpredictable at this point, the NWS says.
In his blog for the Star Tribune, meteorologist Paul Douglas displayed two different temperature models, one suggesting that 90-degree heat could linger for eight consecutive days and another showing that Friday will be the only day in the 90s followed by highs in the 80s through the first week of July.
Along with the heat and high humidity comes the risk of severe storms, which are possible in far southern Minnesota on Monday and then again across parts of the state Thursday through Saturday.
"Those who like severe storms need to follow the forecast as this could be an active week ahead, and into the weekend," says the NWS Twin Cities forecast discussion.
Longer term, The Weather Channel says almost all of Minnesota can expect warmer than normal temperatures in July, followed by a cooler than normal August.
