Ben Cathey

New reports in SW MN show struggles for ranchers. That said, heavy rain is coming to the same region - and really, all of Minnesota - in the next 40 hours that should temporarily help drought.

Thunderstorms and heavy rain roll in later Thursday, wrapping up for most by noon Friday.

As evenings across Minnesota get hotter and more humid, we struggle to cool ourselves down. We’re losing out on quality sleep and battling the elements for outdoor sports. A special softball league is facing the heat while working on climate adaptation.

What’s not to love? We just had solid rains, the skeeter count is low, air quality remains excellent, and the breeze is flowing in some lower humidity.

The upper Minnesota River to International Falls is the main outline for Monday evening storms. How much the morning round weakens the later storms is still a question. Plus, what will drought look like for ranchers and farmers in next week’s update?

There is heightened risk for wildfires to form over northern Minnesota late this summer and continuing into fall. This is separate from the already-started fires in the Boundary Waters region.

The epicenter for severe weather this summer, with six severe thunderstorm warnings, two tornado warnings, hail, downed trees … it might surprise you!

Plan to stay up late on Wednesday night to catch them.

The Twin Cities now own their worst drought in about three years. You've got to go several feet underground to hit much in the way of any moisture. So, when's the rain getting here?

The cooler trend is also waning, but it won’t be totally toasty for the weekend.