On Thursday, a low-pressure system will head toward the central Plains, while a strong trough and cold front push southeast toward the upper Midwest. The northern trough will help keep the southern system and its widespread rain away from the Northland, though a few showers might pass through our area from Thursday into early Friday.
Currently, it appears that much of northwest Wisconsin may receive around 0.05 to 0.25 inches of rain on Thursday, while northeast Minnesota could see less than 0.1 inches.
Strong northwest winds are expected in the Northland from Thursday night into Friday morning, with gusts between 25 and 45 mph. Over Lake Superior, gale-force and possibly storm-force gusts of 45 to 60 mph are possible on Friday. The biggest waves this time will likely be farther east from the North Shore since the winds will be coming from the north-northwest instead of the east-northeast like they were on Monday.
After a brief cooldown on Friday with gusty northwesterly winds, temperatures are expected to warm up slightly this weekend, with highs in the 50s and 60s. It won’t be as warm as last weekend, but still a bit above average for mid-October. Breezy southwest winds are also likely, especially on Sunday.
Looking ahead, mid to late next week may bring the next decent shot of rain to northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin. An increasingly amplified pattern featuring deep western U.S. troughing could support the development of a more organized system tracking into the northern Plains or Upper Midwest later next week.
Temperatures across Kansas are showing a dramatic contrast today thanks to a potent fall cold front, with 55 degrees reported in Colby and 90 degrees in Wichita.
With a strong temperature gradient and added lift from a cold front, showers and thunderstorms are breaking out this afternoon across parts of the central Plains. Severe thunderstorm watches (yellow) are in effect through late evening, alongside several severe thunderstorm warnings (yellow polygons). Some storms could bring large hail, damaging winds, and even an isolated tornado tonight.
MRMS radar loop from Tuesday, October 13, 2026, running from 2:48 PM to 5:48 PM CT.
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