This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin.
Day one: Tonight
No hazardous weather is expected at this time.
Days two through seven: Thursday through Tuesday
The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low.
Spotter information statement
Skywarn spotter activation will not be needed tonight.
Forecaster's discussionIssued 10/29/2026, 6:36 AM CDT
Key messages
- Back to average temperatures for one day, then trending above average into the weekend and early next week.
- Quiet weather through Friday, then some showers possible Saturday.
- A larger system may bring widespread rain early next week.
Discussion
Issued at 416 PM CDT Wed Oct 28 2026
LATE AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT:
As of 330 PM: Storms continued over central and southern Minnesota in the warm sector of a nascent low pressure system centered near STC. The warm front extended eastward roughly along MN/WI-70 while a cold front was farther west over southwest Minnesota. Temperatures were in the upper 50s and low 60s over western Wisconsin into central Minnesota with dewpoints in the 50s. The 18Z MPX sounding revealed two elevated mixed layers which were keeping the eastward extent of convection limited. Hodographs over east-central Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin were supportive of supercells capable of large hail and tornadoes. The main question is whether storms can become surface-based. Storms are expected to lift northeastward into the Brainerd Lakes and northwest Wisconsin late this afternoon and this evening. Areas of northwest Wisconsin and adjacent portions of east-central Minnesota saw partial sunshine this afternoon which will aid in storm development and maintenance.
Precipitation over north-central Minnesota will persist this evening in response to the strengthening low pressure. Look for that precipitation to persist and propagate eastward over the Arrowhead by late evening.
Partial clearing is expected as the precipitation dwindles tonight.
THURSDAY THRU THE WEEKEND:
Behind the departing cold front tonight, a cooler and drier air mass will sweep into our region for Thursday. High temperatures will trend noticeably cooler and near to slightly above normal;, generally topping out in the upper 40s to middle 50s. Partial clearing is expected early, particularly south of US-2. By late morning, cold air advection atop modest warming should permit development of a broad shallow cumulus field. Gusty west to northwest winds will make it feel a bit brisk throughout the day. These winds will gradually diminish as we head through the afternoon and cold air advection weakens, setting the stage for a quiet and chilly evening with lows dipping into the 20s.
Quiet and pleasant weather holds across the area on Friday as the surface high pressure slides to our east. Winds will be lighter, and temperatures will quickly rebound into the upper 40s to upper 50s under plentiful sunshine. Highs Friday will be 5 to 12 degrees above normal. As we head into the weekend, return flow will pull even warmer air northward, resulting in temperatures climbing back to ten to twenty degrees above normal. Afternoon highs will reach the mid 50s to upper 50s and lower 60s Saturday and Sunday, while overnight lows remain well above freezing.
A warm front will slowly lift northward across the Midwest into southern Minnesota and southern Wisconsin by Sunday morning. Isentropic ascent north of the front enhanced by a northeastward propagating shortwave trough will bring a chance of showers to areas south of US-2 in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Rain amounts should be light.
EARLY NEXT WEEK:
By Monday and Tuesday, the chance for widespread precipitation return as a larger and better organized storm system moves into the central CONUS. Models are split on how that system will evolve. The latest GFS points to a cutoff low developing over the central Plains while the ECMWF features a more progressive trough lifting northeastward across the Upper Midwest. Cloud cover and periods of rain will keep conditions somewhat dreary, though temperatures are expected to remain on the mild side for late October. Forecast models suggest that this system could bring a beneficial soaking rain to much of the region before precipitation gradually tapers off toward the middle of next week.
Aviation
Issued at 637 AM CDT Thu Oct 29 2026
A forecast challenge today will be the MVFR stratus layer currently affecting HIB/INL and likely soon to be affecting DLH. These clouds will probably stick around through the morning, possibly affecting BRD/HYR briefly. The timing of when they may mix out to scattered is unknown, but most models suggest mid- afternoon or so. Expect some breezy west to northwest winds today as well. Otherwise, once clouds eventually scatter out this afternoon, VFR conditions will prevail the rest of the period with high pressure building in.
Marine
Issued at 200 AM CDT Thu Oct 29 2026
Expect gusty west winds through today. Small Craft Advisories are in effect. High pressure moves in tonight and winds will correspondingly lighten up. High pressure will remain around Friday and Friday night, leading to light winds. Winds become east/northeasterly Saturday, but remain light in speed.
For the open water discussion, refer to the NWS Marquette Area Forecast Discussion at weather.gov/mqt.
Fire weather
Issued at 200 AM CDT Thu Oct 29 2026
Dry weather is in the forecast with high pressure today and Friday. Min RH today will remain above 40 percent, and for most places above 50 percent. High pressure will result in slightly drier conditions Friday with parts of northwest Wisconsin seeing min RH values around the 30 to 40 percent range, but with light winds once again. More moisture moves in Saturday and Sunday with some rain chances at times. Fire weather conditions are expected to be minimal the next few days.
See the Fire Weather Forecast product for a more thorough breakdown of fire weather conditions.
Watches, warnings and advisories
MN: None. WI: None. MARINE: Small Craft Advisory until 7 PM CDT this evening for LSZ121- 140>148-150.
From the National Weather Service; may be delayed. Not for life-safety decisions. In an emergency, call 911.
Next 6 hours
NWS hourly forecast
Now44°Sunny0%5 mph
7 AM43°Sunny0%5 mph
8 AM41°Sunny0%5 mph
9 AM39°Mostly Sunny0%10 mph
10 AM44°Mostly Sunny0%10 mph
11 AM46°Mostly Sunny0%10 mph
Hourly details
Next 7 days: temperature chart, feels like, rain and snow amounts, sky cover, wind and gustsShowHide
Severe storm and flash flood outlooks, expected rain, river flooding and wildfires near this area
Severe storm outlook today:No thunderstorm risk area over this locationOutlook map
Excessive rainfall outlook (flash flood risk):Could not check the Weather Prediction Center outlook right now.
River gauges within 40 miles at or above flood stage: None reported
Active wildfires within 50 miles: Trepania Fire (3 acres), Corn Fire (2 acres), Icehouse Bridge Fire (2 acres), Birch Fire (1 acre), Boyd Fire (1 acre)
Weather and emergencies: Weather, air quality and hazard information on this page is delayed and may be incomplete. It is not a substitute for official warnings. Always follow the National Weather Service, local emergency management and public safety officials. In an emergency, call 911. For evacuation orders, use your local official alert system.
Forecasts, observations and alerts come from the National Weather Service (api.weather.gov). Data can be delayed by minutes to hours, and an observation station may be miles from the place named on this page. This site is not affiliated with NOAA or the National Weather Service.
DatenUS is a private website and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any government agency. We republish public data from the sources listed on this page. Data can be incomplete, delayed or wrong. Always check the original source before you make a decision.
Our servers read this data automatically from government sources. Errors can come from the source itself or from the way we read, process or display it, and we do not guarantee that it is accurate, complete or current. Verify anything important with the official source.