Minneapolis-St. Paul weather today is warm and mostly sunny with a high near 84°F, but a cold front sliding in from the northwest brings a slight chance of afternoon thunderstorms — so plan outdoor errands for the morning and keep half an eye on the radar between 1 and 4 PM CT.
Today’s Setup
According to the National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen office, mostly clear skies this morning give way to a cold frontal passage this afternoon. Instability is limited, but strong wind shear moving through could allow isolated to scattered storms to fire mainly across southern and eastern Minnesota into western Wisconsin, with a few strong to severe cells possible. The main hazards are large hail and damaging wind gusts, not widespread flooding. Temperatures actually fall through the afternoon, from a high near 84°F down to around 79°F behind the front. Overnight lows drop to around 61°F under clearing skies.
Best Window To Be Outside
Morning through early afternoon — before 1 PM CT — is your clearest, calmest stretch for anything outdoors around the lakes, Minnehaha Falls, or the river paths. West southwest wind stays light at 5 to 10 mph. If storms do fire up south and east of the metro, they should clear out by evening, setting up a mostly clear, comfortable Friday night near 61°F.
Rain And Storm Risk
NWS is calling for only a 20% chance of precipitation today, with under a tenth of an inch of rain likely if anything develops. The bigger story is Saturday night into Monday morning, which NWS flags as the next best chance for rain; otherwise, next week trends drier with temperatures staying close to normal into midweek before cooling below normal late next week.
What To Wear Or Bring
Light layers work fine for the 84°F afternoon, but toss a rain layer in the car in case storms pop. Heading to the lake? A West Marine Ski Vest is a smart $15 pickup for boating season on any of the Twin Cities’ 10,000 lakes. Golfers should get rounds in before early afternoon — a golf hat visor helps with the sun breaks between clouds.
Weekend Events And Gameday Weather
Minnesota United FC hosts Tigres UANL tonight at Allianz Field — any early storm activity should clear well before kickoff, leaving a pleasant, mild evening for the match. Grab tickets on SeatGeek or Find tickets on StubHub, and check out official team gear on Fanatics before you go. Saturday looks even better for outdoor plans: sunny and near 85°F for Guns N’ Roses at Mystic Lake Amphitheater. Sunday’s Train show at Mystic Lake Amphitheater — see our full weather breakdown — should also see fair skies as the drier pattern holds.
Dinner Tonight
With highs near 84°F easing into a cool evening, it’s ideal grilling weather — fire up the grill for burgers, steaks, or grilled chicken with corn on the cob. An instant-read meat thermometer takes the guesswork out of doneness, and a grill brush and scraper set keeps the grates ready to go. Need ingredients? You can order groceries on Amazon and have everything for tonight’s dinner delivered to your door.
Next Few Days
Saturday brings sunshine and a high near 85°F with light winds — the pick of the weekend. Rain chances return Saturday night, then a mostly dry, near-normal stretch carries into the middle of next week before temperatures dip below normal late next week. For more lake-day gear ideas, check out our outdoor gear guide.
