Minnesota is heading toward a potentially soggy end to the week with widespread heavy rain expected Friday into early Saturday. The heaviest rainfall is currently expected from the Twin Cities metro area south toward the Minnesota–Iowa border, where 3 to 5 inches or more could fall.
Heavy rainfall expected Friday
A significant storm system will bring attention to the Upper Midwest from Friday into the weekend, arriving in two distinct waves.
The system is currently organizing over the Four Corners and southern Rockies. As it moves north and east, it will interact with a strong upper-level pattern and draw increasingly abundant moisture into Minnesota.
By early Friday morning, a large area of showers is expected to spread into central and southern Minnesota. The initial wave of rain between Friday morning and Friday afternoon could produce 1 to 2 inches or more in locations where the rain shield remains in place for an extended period.
Current forecast models suggests the first round could focus from west-central Minnesota toward the Twin Cities before gradually weakening later Friday. But that may not be the end of the rain.
A second round of rain could bring torrential amounts
A second round of potentially heavier rainfall is expected to develop later Friday night into Saturday morning as a surface warm front lifts across southern Minnesota. This round could affect south-central and southeastern Minnesota, northeastern Iowa and eventually southwestern Wisconsin.
The setup is concerning because thunderstorms could repeatedly track along the same general area…