Minneapolis–St. Paul is heading into a warm Thursday with a high near 79°F and mostly sunny skies — but a line of gusty showers and isolated thunderstorms is expected to push through between 4 and 8 PM CT, so plan your outdoor time before mid-afternoon.
Today’s Setup
A low-pressure system tracking through southern Canada is pulling the Twin Cities into its warm sector today. The National Weather Service is forecasting mostly sunny conditions through midday, with SSE winds gusting up to 35 mph making it feel breezy around the Chain of Lakes, Lake Nokomis, and open park areas. By late afternoon, that wind energy feeds a narrow line of showers — instability is low but not zero, and isolated storms can’t be ruled out.
Best Window To Be Outside
Morning to early afternoon is your play. Temperatures climb into the mid-70s by noon under mostly clear skies. Get your Lake Harriet walk, bike ride, or patio lunch in before 3 PM CT. After 4 PM CT, the storm chance hits 40% and stays elevated through early evening before skies clear overnight.
Twins Game Weather — Heads Up
The Minnesota Twins host the Miami Marlins at Target Field tonight, and those late-afternoon storms could arrive mid-game. Pack a packable rain jacket and a compact travel umbrella before heading downtown, and a Minnesota Twins fitted cap will keep rain out of your eyes. Still need seats? Find tickets on StubHub. A Minnesota Twins jersey also looks sharp under a rain layer.
If you’d rather stay dry indoors, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is running at the Orpheum Theatre tonight — a great backup plan.
Critical Fire Weather Warning
This is the bigger headline today: the National Weather Service has flagged critical fire weather across the region. Winds gusting 35–40 mph combined with dry low-level air create dangerous fire-spread conditions. Friday is even more extreme, with relative humidity dropping into the teens and gusts of 25–30 mph. Do not burn yard debris. No backyard fires. This warning covers both today and Friday across the metro and western Minnesota.
Weekend Outlook
Friday looks outstanding — sunny and near 87°F. The Twins continue their home stand against the Milwaukee Brewers at Target Field, making for perfect tailgating weather. ZZ Top plays Mystic Lake Casino Hotel on Friday; a ZZ Top t-shirt is a solid concert-day call. Golfers, Friday morning is your best window this week — see the best golf balls for high handicappers in 2026 before you tee off.
Saturday stays warm near 81°F. The Timberwolves host the San Antonio Spurs in the West Conference Semifinals at Target Center — Get tickets on SeatGeek while they last.
Dinner Tonight
With storms rolling through this evening, it’s a slow cooker night. A programmable slow cooker loaded with chili or beef stew in the morning will be ready right when you get home. An enameled cast iron Dutch oven works just as well on the stovetop. Need ingredients? You can order groceries on Amazon and have everything for tonight’s dinner delivered to your door.
