Rain chances roll in for the midweek; summer-like warmth returns for the holiday weekend

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – A cool, dry air mass remains planted in the region today on the backside of high pressure that is migrating toward the Great Lakes, making for a bright, but cool Tuesday in the area. We’ll have sunshine for most of the day with high temperatures in the mid-60s this afternoon. A brisk easterly breeze will reach 15 miles per hour at times in the afternoon, adding a slight chill to the air.

Clouds will thicken late in the day and during the evening hours as a large storm system approaches from the southwest. Light rain will slowly spread northward across the area, impacting North Iowa first, mainly around the evening commute, and then southern Minnesota in the mid to late evening. Rain will become more widespread and heavier later in the night with temperatures falling into the upper 40s. Winds will become a bit gustier, at times reaching 20 miles per hour.

Wednesday is looking cool, gray, and wet for our entire area. Expect periods of light to moderate rainfall throughout the day with temperatures steady in the low 50s and a gusty easterly breeze. An inch or more of rainfall is possible across the area by the time the activity begins to wind down late in the evening.

Clouds will slowly clear off Thursday morning in the wake of the large storm system’s departure from our area. Expect bright sunshine throughout the afternoon with high temperatures in the low 60s and a slight northerly breeze.

Warmer air will build in on Friday just in time for the start of the holiday weekend coupled with tons of strong late May sunshine to help our temperatures climb into the low 70s. Expect plenty of bright warm sunshine this weekend with temperatures reaching the upper 70s Saturday, Sunday, and Memorial Day, but there will also be a chance for a few sparse, isolated thunderstorms each day. The best chance for rain overall appears to be late in the day Sunday.

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