Smoky Skies Could Return To Twin Cities This Weekend: MN Weather

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — After a round of potentially strong thunderstorms Friday night, hazy skies could again blanket the Twin Cities this weekend as smoke drifts back into the region.

The National Weather Service says the strongest storms Friday evening could bring damaging winds and hail. But once the system moves out, the bigger story will be the return of wildfire smoke, which may impact visibility and air quality on both Saturday and Sunday.

Despite the haze, the weekend will bring plenty of sunshine. Saturday will be cooler, with highs in the low 70s, while Sunday heats back up into the upper 80s. Overnight lows will range from the low 60s to upper 60s.

By Monday, the heat builds again with highs near 90, and smoky conditions may linger.

Here's the full NWS forecast from the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport:

Today: Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 87. South southeast wind around 5 mph.

Tonight: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 9pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 67. East wind around 5 mph becoming west after midnight.

Saturday: A 10 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 7am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 80. West northwest wind 10 to 15 mph.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 61. West northwest wind 5 to 15 mph.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 86. Southwest wind 5 to 15 mph.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 68. South southwest wind around 10 mph.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 90. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 71. South wind around 10 mph.

Tuesday: A slight chance of showers, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 88. South wind 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Tuesday Night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 1am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66. South wind 10 to 15 mph becoming northwest after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Wednesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 75. North northwest wind 10 to 15 mph.

Wednesday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57. North wind around 10 mph.

Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 71. North wind around 10 mph.