Shawn Cable

A warm, muggy pattern will continue into the 4th of July weekend with scattered showers and thunderstorms at times, but you'll still have plenty of opportunities to enjoy the holiday outdoors.

Another active day of weather is unfolding across the region, with the main concern shifting to the potential for severe thunderstorms later this afternoon into tonight. A few showers and thunderstorms will continue through the early afternoon, but the greater severe weather threat is expected to redevelop later today. Damaging wind gusts will be the primary concern, but large hail, a couple of tornadoes and heavy rainfall will also be possible.

It is going to be another active day of weather across much of Minnesota and Iowa, with the main focus shifting to the potential for strong to severe thunderstorms later today and tonight. We already have some scattered thunderstorms moving across the region. More storms are expected later this afternoon, with another round likely late tonight. Any storms that develop could produce damaging wind gusts, hail and locally heavy rain.

The active weather pattern is not done with us yet, but the severe weather threat is not quite as high as it has been over the past few days. Scattered showers and thunderstorms will exit the region this morning, with another round of storms possible tonight. The main threats tonight will be damaging straight-line wind gusts and heavy rain. In this type of weather pattern, models tend to struggle a bit, so it is difficult to say exactly when and where storms will develop. Stay weather aware and keep your KEYC First Alert Weather App handy for the latest updates, alerts and radar.

Another round of strong to severe thunderstorms is possible this afternoon through tonight and into Wednesday, followed by a quieter stretch of weather before heat and humidity build back into the region this weekend and early next week.

Another round of thunderstorms is possible this afternoon and evening, with the greatest severe weather threat focused south and east of the Mankato/North Mankato area. After today’s storms move out, we’ll get a much-needed break from both the rain and the humidity. Thursday and Friday will bring a couple of cooler, more comfortable summer days with lower humidity, light wind and highs generally in the low to upper 80s. After that brief break, our attention quickly turns to the heat as temperatures begin climbing this weekend and a much hotter pattern develops early next week.

We’re heading into a warm and increasingly humid stretch of weather, with highs climbing into the 90s this weekend and staying there through much of next week.

The heat wave gripping the region will show no signs of letting up this week, with highs in the low to mid 90s and heat index values pushing 100° through at least Thursday. Nighttime won’t bring much relief either, with temperatures only dropping into the upper 60s to low 70s. Because of the multi-day duration of this heat, an Excessive Heat Warning is in effect through Thursday evening for locations along and north of the Minnesota River, including Redwood Falls, New Ulm, Mankato and points north. Rain chances remain essentially nonexistent through the rest of the week, though a slight cooldown and a small uptick in shower and thunderstorm chances will arrive by Friday into the weekend.

The dangerous heatwave gripping the region will continue through the end of the workweek, with highs in the mid 90s and heat index values near 100° each afternoon.

Our dangerously hot, humid stretch of weather will continue through the end of the week, with highs in the upper 80s to 90s and heat index values approaching 100 degrees for the fourth straight day. Wildfire smoke from northern Minnesota could also drift into parts of the region, especially in areas north and east of the Mankato/North Mankato area. Rain chances will remain near zero across southern Minnesota and northern Iowa through the weekend before a gradual pattern change begins early next week.