Seasonable temperatures today; Warming up the rest of the week

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – The start of the new week is looking great with warmer temperatures and the possibility of some much-needed rain this week. This morning temperatures were in the upper 40s to lower 50s. Sky conditions were clear across Olmsted County and southeastern Minnesota, but cloud coverage could be seen on the radar in the western counties heading into northern Iowa during the six o’clock hour. Foggy conditions this morning are also driving down visibility in some regions. Visibility in Rochester this morning is at 3 miles, Doge Center .25 miles, and Red Wing in Goodhue County is at a quarter of a mile. Today temperatures will warm up to the low 70s with mostly sunny skies with northern winds around 6 mph. Overnight lows tonight will be chillier in the mid to upper 40s in Olmsted County, which is near the average for mid-September.

Monday will be mostly sunny with warmer temperatures into the mid to low 70s. Cloud coverage is expected to build into the forecast for tomorrow night along with a stray chance of rain. Overall confidence is on the lower end for now, but the timing can expected into the evening hours and morning.

The rest of the week continues to have stray rain chances with lower confidence on Wednesday night into Thursday morning. Right now, the weekend is expected to have stray rain chances with the possibility of a thunderstorm.

An upper-level ridge in the atmosphere will make way for a warming trend with temperatures in the upper 70s and low 80s this week. Typically, above-average temperatures are not ideal for fall colors as we inch our way closer to the fall equinox. Above-average temperatures with drought conditions will put extra stress on trees, especially approaching the time for peak colors, which is early October.

Other than the chance of rain, enjoy the warmer temperatures and sunshine this week!

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