Current weather · Oct 2, 6:27 AM CDT

45.9960, -94.8980

37°

Areas of frostFeels like 37° · Humidity 86%NWS forecast for this hour; no recent station reportForecast by NWS Twin Cities, MN · grid 54,120
High
60°
Low
36°
Rain today
10%
Sunrise
7:19 AM
Sunset
6:57 PM

Hour by hour

NWS forecast grid

Scroll sideways for more hours. Pick an hour for every number.

Every hour as a table48 hours
TimeWeatherTemperatureFeels likeDew pointHumidityChanceAmountSnowDirWindGustSky coverThunderPressureVisibilityCeiling
Fri 6 AMAreas of frost37°37°33°86%0%W1 mph3 mph3%—10 mi
Fri 7 AMAreas of frost37°37°33°84%0%WNW2 mph3 mph4%—10 mi
Fri 8 AM37°37°32°82%0%WNW2 mph3 mph0%—10 mi
Fri 9 AM41°41°33°73%0%NNW1 mph2 mph0%—10 mi
Fri 10 AM46°46°35°65%0%N2 mph3 mph0%—10 mi
Fri 11 AM51°51°35°54%0%N2 mph3 mph1%—10 mi
Fri 12 PM55°55°35°47%0%N2 mph3 mph4%—10 mi
Fri 1 PM57°57°34°42%0%W2 mph3 mph7%—10 mi
Fri 2 PM59°59°32°36%0%SW2 mph3 mph19%—10 mi
Fri 3 PM60°60°32°35%0%SSW3 mph6 mph29%—10 mi
Fri 4 PM60°60°32°35%1%SSW3 mph6 mph34%—10 mi
Fri 5 PM59°59°33°37%4%SSW3 mph6 mph44%—10 mi
Fri 6 PM58°58°33°39%5%S3 mph6 mph51%—10 mi
Fri 7 PMChance of very light rain showers55°55°35°47%10%S3 mph6 mph80%—10 mi9,500 ft
Fri 8 PMChance of very light rain showers52°52°35°52%10%SSE3 mph6 mph88%—10 mi9,500 ft
Fri 9 PMChance of very light rain showers50°49°35°56%10%SSE3 mph6 mph98%—10 mi9,500 ft
Fri 10 PMChance of very light rain showers50°49°36°58%10%SSE3 mph6 mph100%1%—10 mi11,000 ft
Fri 11 PMChance of very light rain showers49°47°38°66%10%SSE5 mph7 mph100%1%—10 mi13,000 ft
Sat 12 AMChance of very light rain showers49°47°37°63%10%SSE6 mph9 mph100%1%—10 mi13,000 ft
Sat 1 AMChance of very light rain showers48°45°38°68%10%SSE7 mph10 mph100%2%—10 mi13,000 ft
Sat 2 AM47°43°38°71%8%SSE8 mph13 mph94%2%—10 mi13,000 ft
Sat 3 AM47°43°38°71%2%SSE9 mph14 mph81%2%—10 mi13,000 ft
Sat 4 AM47°42°38°71%0%SSE10 mph16 mph65%—10 mi25,000 ft
Sat 5 AM47°41°39°74%1%SSE13 mph20 mph57%1%—10 mi
Sat 6 AM47°41°40°76%1%SSE15 mph25 mph61%1%—10 mi25,000 ft
Sat 7 AM46°39°40°79%1%S16 mph29 mph66%2%—10 mi13,000 ft
Sat 8 AM48°42°41°77%2%S16 mph31 mph47%2%—10 mi
Sat 9 AM50°44°42°74%2%S17 mph37 mph39%2%—10 mi
Sat 10 AM53°53°43°69%2%S18 mph33 mph36%1%—10 mi
Sat 11 AM56°56°44°64%8%S18 mph30 mph42%1%—10 mi
Sat 12 PM58°58°46°64%10%SSW17 mph28 mph46%1%—10 mi
Sat 1 PMSlight chance of light rain showers61°61°47°60%21%0.00 inSSW17 mph25 mph57%10%—10 mi
Sat 2 PMChance of light rain showers62°62°48°60%37%0.00 inSSW17 mph25 mph74%10%—10 mi13,000 ft
Sat 3 PMChance of light rain showers62°62°50°65%42%0.00 inSW15 mph25 mph98%10%—10 mi13,000 ft
Sat 4 PMSlight chance of light rain showers63°63°51°65%23%0.00 inSW13 mph24 mph78%5%—10 mi14,400 ft
Sat 5 PM62°62°52°70%7%0.00 inSW12 mph22 mph53%5%—10 mi-100 ft
Sat 6 PM62°62°52°70%5%0.00 inWSW10 mph22 mph41%5%—10 mi9,400 ft
Sat 7 PM60°59°52°75%4%WSW9 mph20 mph25%3%——
Sat 8 PM58°58°52°80%4%WSW7 mph18 mph37%3%——
Sat 9 PM57°56°52°83%4%W8 mph17 mph26%3%——
Sat 10 PM55°55°51°86%4%WNW8 mph17 mph14%2%——
Sat 11 PM53°53°50°89%4%WNW8 mph17 mph10%2%——
Sun 12 AM52°52°48°86%4%NW7 mph16 mph7%2%——
Sun 1 AM50°47°47°89%0%NW7 mph16 mph3%——
Sun 2 AM49°46°46°89%0%NW7 mph16 mph5%——
Sun 3 AM47°44°45°93%0%NW6 mph15 mph8%——
Sun 4 AM46°43°45°96%0%NW6 mph15 mph10%——
Sun 5 AM45°42°44°96%0%NW6 mph14 mph14%——

The next 16 days

NWS grid published Oct 2, 5:44 AM CDT to day 8, the National Blend of Models to day 10, the mean of GFS, ECMWF, ECMWF AI to day 16
  1. TodayOct 260°36°Areas Of Frost then Sunny10%wind 5 mph
  2. SatOct 363°44°Partly Sunny then Chance Rain Showers42%0.01 inwind 18 mph · gusts 37 mph
  3. SunOct 461°37°Sunny4%wind 10 mph · gusts 18 mph
  4. MonOct 561°47°Sunny0%wind 12 mph · gusts 23 mph
  5. TueOct 670°50°Mostly Sunny1%wind 16 mph · gusts 26 mph
  6. WedOct 767°47°Mostly Sunny1%wind 9 mph · gusts 20 mph
  7. ThuOct 865°46°Slight Chance Rain Showers then Mostly Sunny15%0.02 inwind 10 mph · gusts 18 mph
  8. FriOct 965°50°5%wind 10 mph · gusts 20 mph
  9. SatOct 1068°47°National Blend11%wind 16 mph · gusts 25 mph
  10. SunOct 1158°41°National Blend19%0.02 inwind 14 mph · gusts 22 mph
  11. MonOct 12~62°52°Model mean0.08 in
  12. TueOct 13~53°42°Model mean0.02 in
  13. WedOct 14~56°40°Model mean0.03 in
  14. ThuOct 15~62°53°Model mean0.20 in
  15. FriOct 16~63°46°Model mean0.08 in
  16. SatOct 17~60°45°Model mean

Right now

NWS grid for this hour · UV from the EPA · air quality from AirNow
  • Feels like37°
  • WindCalm
  • Radar over this pointno reading
  • Humidity86%
  • Dew point33°
  • Pressure—
  • UV index—
  • Air quality—
  • Visibility10 mi
  • Sunrise and sunsetSunrise · Sunset · not yet up
  • Moonrise10:42 PMMoonset 2:44 PM
  • Moon phaseWaning gibbous64% lit

The National Blend of Models

NOAA NBM v5.0 · run of Oct 2, 1:00 AM CDT

NOAA’s weighted blend of every model it runs, to eleven days, with the chances the grid above does not carry. Where the local office’s grid reaches, its figure sits beneath the blend’s; where it does not, the blend stands alone.

  1. TodayOct 259°45°NWS grid 60° / 36°rain 8%wind 5 mph · gusts 12 mph
  2. SatOct 364°45°NWS grid 63° / 44°rain 49%thunder 14%wind 16 mph · gusts 26 mph
  3. SunOct 461°37°NWS grid 61° / 37°rain 0%wind 10 mph · gusts 18 mph
  4. MonOct 561°47°NWS grid 61° / 47°rain 1%wind 12 mph · gusts 23 mph
  5. TueOct 670°50°NWS grid 70° / 50°rain 1%wind 16 mph · gusts 26 mph
  6. WedOct 767°47°NWS grid 67° / 47°rain 5%wind 10 mph · gusts 18 mph
  7. ThuOct 865°46°NWS grid 65° / 46°rain 4%wind 10 mph · gusts 18 mph
  8. FriOct 965°50°NWS grid 65° / 50°rain 5%thunder 10%wind 10 mph · gusts 18 mph
  9. SatOct 1068°47°Beyond the NWS gridrain 11%wind 16 mph · gusts 25 mph
  10. SunOct 1158°41°Beyond the NWS gridrain 19%0.02 inwind 14 mph · gusts 22 mph
  11. MonOct 1256°—Beyond the NWS gridrain 17%0.03 inwind 12 mph · gusts 20 mph
32°55°77°SatSunMonTueWedThuFri

BlendNWS gridChance of rain, hourly

The models, side by side

HRRR Oct 2, 1:00 AM CDT · GFS Oct 1, 7:00 PM CDT · GEFS Oct 1, 7:00 PM CDT · ECMWF Oct 1, 7:00 PM CDT · ECMWF AI Oct 1, 7:00 PM CDT

Each line is one model’s own forecast at its own grid cell: three kilometers for HRRR, a quarter of a degree for the global models, which can sit a few hundred meters above or below the town. Where they agree the forecast is settled; where they part is where it is not.

32°55°77°SatSunMonTueWedThuFri

DayNWS gridHRRRGFSGEFSECMWFECMWF AI
Today Oct 260° 36°61° 37°61° 41°61° 40°59° 41°~59° 37°
Sat Oct 363° 44°0.01 in64° 47°64° 49°0.04 in63° 50°0.06 in~58° 52°0.09 in~61° 51°0.13 in
Sun Oct 461° 37°~52° 50°62° 43°61° 44°62° 47°~63° 44°
Mon Oct 561° 47°—62° 40°61° 39°65° 43°~63° 38°
Tue Oct 670° 50°—72° 51°66° 50°~73° 53°~72° 53°
Wed Oct 767° 47°—68° 53°67° 52°68° 49°~72° 49°
Thu Oct 865° 46°0.02 in—70° 51°66° 49°~69° 51°~66° 45°
Fri Oct 965° 50°—67° 45°67° 47°~59° 47°~63° 40°
Sat Oct 10——81° 57°66° 54°0.02 in~71° 52°~77° 57°
Sun Oct 11——66° 54°0.01 in57° 47°0.10 in~74° 71°~54° 44°0.12 in
Mon Oct 12——~67° 53°—~75° 64°~45° 40°0.24 in
Tue Oct 13——~60° 42°—~53° 43°0.04 in~46° 40°0.03 in
Wed Oct 14——~70° 48°—~50° 36°~47° 36°0.10 in
Thu Oct 15——~81° 69°—~50° 43°0.02 in~55° 46°0.58 in
Fri Oct 16——~76° 51°0.17 in—~42° 37°~50° 42°
Sat Oct 17——~60° 45°———

A ~ marks a high or low read from six-hourly steps, which miss the true extreme by a degree or two.

ECMWF ensemble meteogram

ECMWF ensemble meteogram for this place: box plots of cloud cover, precipitation, wind speed and temperature from the 51 ensemble members for ten days.
Rendered by ECMWF from its 51-member ensemble, in metric units: each box spans the middle half of the members, the whiskers the rest, the line the control run. A forecast, not an observation. © ECMWF, CC BY 4.0.

The next 90 days

NOAA GHCN normals and records at Long Prairie (14Y) · Climate Prediction Center outlooks

No forecast has skill day by day past about two weeks, and this page does not print one. Where the models stop, the calendar takes over: the 1991 to 2020 normal for each date, the record high and low ever set on it, and where the Climate Prediction Center leans warm, cool, wet or dry over the coming weeks, the month and the season. A site that shows a high for a date three months out is showing you this normal with a wobble.

The forecast reaches Sat Oct 17, from the NWS grid, then the National Blend, then the mean of the global models. Beyond it the lines are the calendar.

Climate Prediction Center (CPC) temperature lean40%50%50%warmer 40%40% chance above normal · Oct to Dec-40°-20°0°20°40°60°80°TodayNov 1Dec 1

Forecast high and lowNormal high and lowRecord high and lowCPC leans warmer than normal

Week ofNormalWarmest on recordColdest on recordTemperature leanPrecipitation lean
Oct 259° / 39°90° (1953)13° (1974)40% chance above normal · Oct 202640% chance below normal · Oct 2026
Oct 962° / 39°88° (1913)16° (2012)50% chance above normal · days 8 to 1440% chance below normal · days 8 to 14
Oct 1656° / 36°90° (1910)8° (1952)40% chance above normal · Oct 202640% chance below normal · Oct 2026
Oct 2350° / 34°79° (1955)4° (1976)40% chance above normal · Oct 202640% chance below normal · Oct 2026
Oct 3044° / 28°76° (2020)-12° (1951)40% chance above normal · Oct to Decequal chances · Oct to Dec
Nov 644° / 26°76° (2020)-8° (1966)40% chance above normal · Oct to Decequal chances · Oct to Dec
Nov 1339° / 23°69° (1953)-10° (1911)40% chance above normal · Oct to Decequal chances · Oct to Dec
Nov 2032° / 19°62° (2001)-25° (1893)40% chance above normal · Oct to Decequal chances · Oct to Dec
Nov 2733° / 17°59° (1998)-32° (1905)40% chance above normal · Oct to Decequal chances · Oct to Dec
Dec 425° / 9°71° (1941)-29° (1977)40% chance above normal · Oct to Decequal chances · Oct to Dec
Dec 1127° / 11°67° (1913)-37° (1901)40% chance above normal · Oct to Decequal chances · Oct to Dec
Dec 1824° / 8°52° (1941)-39° (1983)40% chance above normal · Oct to Decequal chances · Oct to Dec
Dec 2524° / 9°49° (2023)-35° (1893)40% chance above normal · Oct to Decequal chances · Oct to Dec

Health and activities

Rules of thumb over the next 24 hours of forecast, the warnings in force, the station’s report, air quality and pollen

None of these is a measurement. Each is a rating of the forecast ahead, and of what is happening at the point right now, against what the activity or the ailment is known to mind, and each names the figure that decided it. An ailment or a pest is rated as a risk, low to extreme; an activity, a chore or a journey as a condition, poor to ideal.

Each rating says which span it is for: the rest of today’s daylight, tonight, or the next 24 hours.

Health

  • Arthritisnext 24 hModeratehumid
  • Sinus pressurenext 24 hLowsteady conditions
  • Common coldtodayLowmild
  • FlutodayLowmild
  • Migrainenext 24 hLowsteady conditions
  • Asthmanext 24 hLowclean air
  • Heat stresstodayLowmild
  • SunburntodayLowweak sun
  • Frostbitenext 24 hLowmild
  • SleepingtonightIdealcool, quiet night

Outdoors

  • RunningtodayIdealfine conditions
  • HikingtodayIdealfine conditions
  • BikingtodayIdealfine conditions
  • GolftodayIdealfine conditions
  • FishingtodayIdealfine conditions
  • Boating and paddlingtodayIdealfine conditions
  • Beach and pooltodayFaircool
  • CampingtonightIdealfine conditions
  • StargazingtonightVery goodbright moon

Travel

  • Air travelnext 24 hIdealclear skies
  • Drivingnext 24 hIdealclear roads

Home and garden

  • Lawn mowingtodayIdealfine conditions
  • GardeningtodayIdealfine conditions
  • Outdoor entertainingtodayIdealfine conditions
  • Drying laundry outsidetodayIdealfine conditions
  • Painting and outdoor projectstodayVery goodcold
  • FrosttonightModeratecold night

Pests

  • MosquitoestodayModeratewarm
  • TickstodayModeratewarm
  • Indoor pestsnext 24 hLowmild
  • Outdoor peststodayLowcool

Stargazing

Worked out from the NWS hourly forecast and the sun and moon

Tonight has no dark, clear hour without a bright moon in this forecast. Rated poor.

Night ofRatingDarkClear hoursClear and moonlessMoon litTransparency (est.)DewStrongest wind
FridayPoor8:37 PM to 5:41 AM0 of 9None60%13 mph
SaturdayFair8:35 PM to 5:43 AM8 of 92 h from 10:00 PM49%Poor6 h8 mph
SundayGood8:33 PM to 5:44 AM9 of 94 h from 9:00 PM39%Fair2 h1 mph
MondayExcellent8:31 PM to 5:45 AM4 of 94 h from 9:00 PM29%Good1 h14 mph
TuesdayPoor8:29 PM to 5:47 AM0 of 10None20%7 mph
WednesdayPoor8:27 PM to 5:48 AM0 of 10None12%3 mph
ThursdayGood8:25 PM to 5:49 AM5 of 105 h from 1:00 AM6%Fair3 mph

Dark is the sun 18 degrees below the horizon; where it never gets that low, 12 degrees, marked nautical. Clear is sky cover of 20% or less. A bright moon is one above the horizon with a quarter or more of its disc lit. Transparency in the table is estimated from surface humidity (70% and 85% mark fair and poor) and visibility, since the forecast carries no haze or high cloud moisture. Seeing and transparency by hour, where shown, are Environment and Climate Change Canada’s astronomy forecast (regional model; seeing from cloud, wind shear, turbulence near the ground and the surface temperature trend; transparency from the moisture through the whole air column), under the Open Government Licence - Canada. Dew is the air within 2 °C of its dew point. Excellent is four or more clear moonless hours with good transparency; good is three; fair is one, or two clear hours.

Golden hour and blue hour

Computed from the sun and moon positions
DayBlue hour, morningGolden hour, morningGolden hour, eveningBlue hour, evening
Fri6:50 AM to 7:01 AM7:01 AM to 7:59 AM6:18 PM to 7:16 PM7:16 PM to 7:27 PM
Sat6:51 AM to 7:02 AM7:02 AM to 8:01 AM6:16 PM to 7:14 PM7:14 PM to 7:25 PM
Sun6:52 AM to 7:04 AM7:04 AM to 8:02 AM6:14 PM to 7:12 PM7:12 PM to 7:23 PM
Mon6:54 AM to 7:05 AM7:05 AM to 8:03 AM6:12 PM to 7:10 PM7:10 PM to 7:22 PM
Tue6:55 AM to 7:06 AM7:06 AM to 8:05 AM6:10 PM to 7:08 PM7:08 PM to 7:20 PM
Wed6:56 AM to 7:08 AM7:08 AM to 8:06 AM6:08 PM to 7:06 PM7:06 PM to 7:18 PM
Thu6:57 AM to 7:09 AM7:09 AM to 8:07 AM6:06 PM to 7:04 PM7:04 PM to 7:16 PM
NESWSRSSMRMS
  • SR Sunrise 7:19 AM, 94° E
  • SS Sunset 6:57 PM, 265° W
  • MR Moonrise 10:42 PM, 48° NE
  • MS Moonset 2:44 PM, 312° NW
  • Waning gibbous, 64% lit

Golden hour is the sun between 6 degrees above the horizon and 4 degrees below it; blue hour is the sun between 4 and 6 degrees below. These are the definitions timeanddate.com and PhotoPills use. Directions are degrees clockwise from true north, where the sun’s upper edge and the moon’s center cross a flat horizon; hills and buildings change both. None means the sun does not reach that height on the day; all day means it stays inside the band.

Drone flying

NWS hourly forecast, SWPC Kp, FAA TFRs and 14 CFR Part 107

This hour: fly with caution (night: lighting and night training required (107.29)). Next good stretch: Fri 8 AM to 6 PM, 10 hours.

Today: civil twilight for Part 107 6:49 AM to sunrise 7:19 AM, and sunset 6:57 PM to 7:27 PM. Anti-collision lighting is required in those minutes and at night.

Fri6 AM12 PM6 PM
Sat12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM
Sun12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM

Good Caution No-fly

HourVerdictWind (mph)400 ft est. (mph)Gust (mph)RainVisibilityCloud allowsTempKpWhy
Fri 6 AMCaution1570%10 mi37°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Fri 7 AMCaution2340%10 mi37°civil twilight: lighting required (107.29)
Fri 8 AMGood2340%10 mi37°nothing against it
Fri 9 AMGood1130%10 mi41°nothing against it
Fri 10 AMGood2340%10 mi46°nothing against it
Fri 11 AMGood2340%10 mi51°nothing against it
Fri 12 PMGood2340%10 mi55°nothing against it
Fri 1 PMGood2340%10 mi57°nothing against it
Fri 2 PMGood2340%10 mi59°nothing against it
Fri 3 PMGood3460%10 mi60°nothing against it
Fri 4 PMGood3461%10 mi60°nothing against it
Fri 5 PMGood3464%10 mi59°nothing against it
Fri 6 PMCaution3465%10 mi58°civil twilight: lighting required (107.29)
Fri 7 PMCaution35710%10 mi400 ft55°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Fri 8 PMCaution35710%10 mi400 ft52°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Fri 9 PMCaution35710%10 mi400 ft50°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Fri 10 PMCaution35710%10 mi400 ft50°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Fri 11 PMCaution57910%10 mi400 ft49°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Sat 12 AMCaution681210%10 mi400 ft49°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Sat 1 AMCaution7101310%10 mi400 ft48°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Sat 2 AMCaution812168%10 mi400 ft47°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Sat 3 AMCaution913182%10 mi400 ft47°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Sat 4 AMCaution1015210%10 mi400 ft47°gusts near or over your limit, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Sat 5 AMNo-fly1318251%10 mi47°gusts near or over your limit, wind at 400 ft near or over your limit, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)

Flight restrictions nearby

Reading the FAA’s temporary flight restrictions.

Flight restrictions on the map. TFRs are not the whole picture: controlled airspace around airports needs LAANC authorization. Check the FAA’s B4UFLY.

Wind at 400 ft is estimated from the 10 m forecast by the power law, with exponents for each Pasquill stability class (Irwin 1979, rural, as in EPA dispersion models; the class from wind, sun height and cloud, after Turner 1970); gusts keep the ground gust’s margin. Caution from three quarters of your limit; the default 24 mph is the wind resistance printed for common sub-250 g drones. 14 CFR 107.51: “The minimum flight visibility, as observed from the location of the control station must be no less than 3 statute miles” and at least “500 feet below the cloud”. 14 CFR 107.29: “No person may operate a small unmanned aircraft system during periods of civil twilight unless the small unmanned aircraft has lighted anti-collision lighting visible for at least 3 statute miles”; civil twilight is the 30 minutes before sunrise and after sunset, in Alaska the Air Almanac’s. Kp: SWPC’s scales say satellite navigation problems may occur at G3 (Kp 7) and navigation is “degraded for hours” at G4 (Kp 8); Kp 5 is the typical app warning. Typical limits, not rules: rain chance 30% caution and 60% no-fly, thunder 10% and 20%, below 0 °C caution and −10 °C no-fly, over 40 °C caution. Your drone’s manual and the airspace come first.

Spraying and field work

Worked out from the NWS hourly forecast

Hours fit for spraying, and the days dry enough for fieldwork and hay, read from this forecast’s wind, gusts, humidity, temperature and rain.

Spraying windows

  • Fri 3 PM to Sat 4 AM 13 hours, every hour within the rules
  • Sun 5 PM to 8 PM 3 hours, every hour within the rules
  • Mon 10 AM to 12 PM 2 hours, every hour within the rules
  • Wed 8 AM to 11 AM 3 hours, every hour within the rules
  • Wed 6 PM to Thu 4 AM 10 hours, every hour within the rules
  • Thu 8 AM to 11 AM 3 hours, every hour within the rules
  • Thu 5 PM to 9 PM 4 hours, every hour within the rules
  • Fri 8 AM to 10 AM 2 hours, every hour within the rules
Fri6 AM12 PM6 PM
Sat12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM
Sun12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM
Mon12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM

Good Marginal No

Field days

DayDaytimeChance of rainRainLowest humidityStrongest windDry days in a rowHay drying
FridayDry10%0.00 in35%3 mph1 d
SaturdayShowers possible42%0.01 in60%18 mph
SundayDry0%0.00 in46%10 mph6 dGood
MondayDry0%0.00 in46%12 mph5 dGood
TuesdayDry1%0.00 in57%16 mph4 d
WednesdayDry1%0.00 in48%9 mph3 dGood
ThursdayDry1%0.02 in48%10 mph2 dGood
FridayDry5%0.00 in52%10 mph1 d

Spraying: sustained wind 3 to 10 mph, the range US extension services and most labels give; gusts no more than 15 mph (this page’s limit); delta T (air minus wet-bulb temperature) 2 to 8 °C preferred and 8 to 10 °C marginal, from GRDC guidance, with the wet bulb by Stull’s formula; no hour at a 30% chance of rain or 0.25 mm forecast during the rain-free time. Follow the product label, which overrides all of this. Field days: dry is no daytime hour at a 30% chance and under 1 mm all day, wet is 6 mm (0.25 in) or more; soil moisture is not in the forecast, so ground still wet from earlier rain is not accounted for. Hay drying marks a dry day with humidity down to 50% and a breeze of 5 mph or more.

Solunar times

Computed from the moon’s position

The best-rated day this week is Wednesday, rated good.

DayRatingMajor periodsMinor periodsMoonSunrise, sunset
Fri Fair5:11 AM to 7:11 AM5:42 PM to 7:42 PM2:14 PM to 3:14 PM10:12 PM to 11:12 PM 64%7:19 AM, 6:57 PM
Sat Fair6:14 AM to 8:14 AM6:44 PM to 8:44 PM3:06 PM to 4:06 PM11:28 PM to 12:28 AM 53%7:21 AM, 6:56 PM
Sun Fair7:13 AM to 9:13 AM7:42 PM to 9:42 PM3:45 PM to 4:45 PM 43%7:22 AM, 6:54 PM
Mon Fair8:09 AM to 10:09 AM8:36 PM to 10:36 PM12:48 AM to 1:48 AM4:14 PM to 5:14 PM 32%7:23 AM, 6:52 PM
Tue Poor9:01 AM to 11:01 AM9:25 PM to 11:25 PM2:07 AM to 3:07 AM4:38 PM to 5:38 PM 23%7:25 AM, 6:50 PM
Wed Good9:49 AM to 11:49 AM10:12 PM to 12:12 AM3:25 AM to 4:25 AM4:58 PM to 5:58 PM 15%7:26 AM, 6:48 PM
Thu Good10:35 AM to 12:35 PM10:58 PM to 12:58 AM4:40 AM to 5:40 AM5:16 PM to 6:16 PM 8%7:27 AM, 6:46 PM

Periods in bold fall within an hour of sunrise or sunset. The weather’s side is the fishing index

Major periods are two hours centered on the moon’s passage overhead and underfoot; minor periods are one hour centered on moonrise and moonset: the conventional durations of John Alden Knight’s solunar tables (1936). The rating is this site’s: one point to start, two more within a day and a half of a new or full moon (one more within three and a half days), and one more when a period falls within an hour of sunrise or sunset. The theory has mixed support in fisheries research; the times are exact astronomy.

In words

NWS forecast periods, as issued
  1. Today60° · 4% · WNW 0–5 mph

    Areas of frost before 8am. Sunny, with a high near 60. West northwest wind 0 to 5 mph.

  2. Tonight46° · 10% · SSE 5–15 mph

    A chance of rain showers between 7pm and 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 46. South southeast wind 5 to 15 mph.

  3. Saturday63° · 42% · SSW 10–20 mph

    A chance of rain showers between 1pm and 5pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 63. South southwest wind 10 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

  4. Saturday Night44° · 5% · WNW 5–10 mph

    Mostly clear, with a low around 44. West northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

  5. Sunday61° · NW 5–10 mph

    Sunny. High near 61, with temperatures falling to around 58 in the afternoon. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

  6. Sunday Night37° · N 0–5 mph

    Clear, with a low around 37. North wind 0 to 5 mph.

  7. Monday61° · SE 0–10 mph

    Sunny, with a high near 61. Southeast wind 0 to 10 mph.

  8. Monday Night47° · SSE 10–15 mph

    Mostly clear, with a low around 47. South southeast wind 10 to 15 mph.

  9. Tuesday70° · 1% · S 10–15 mph

    Mostly sunny, with a high near 70. South wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

  10. Tuesday Night50° · 1% · W 5–10 mph

    Partly cloudy, with a low around 50. West wind 5 to 10 mph.

  11. Wednesday67° · 1% · WNW 5–10 mph

    Mostly sunny, with a high near 67. West northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

  12. Wednesday Night47° · 15% · W 5 mph

    A slight chance of rain showers after 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 47. West wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

  13. Thursday65° · 15% · NW 5–10 mph

    A slight chance of rain showers before 7am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 65. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

  14. Thursday Night46° · 1% · WNW 0–5 mph

    Partly cloudy, with a low around 46. West northwest wind 0 to 5 mph.

The forecaster’s discussion

NWS Twin Cities, MN · issued Oct 2, 5:53 AM CDT

Written by the forecaster on duty for their own colleagues and for anyone who wants to know why the forecast says what it says. It is not edited for the public, so it uses the office’s shorthand; it is also the most honest thing any weather service publishes.

KEY Messages

Scattered light rain showers move through Saturday afternoon & evening, with most locations receiving less than 0.10.

Dry weather persists through much of next week along with above-normal temperatures.

Discussion

257 AM CDT Fri Oct 2 2026

Ideal radiational cooling conditions overnight have allowed for temperatures to fall into the 30s across much of central Minnesota this morning, with some patchy frost possible in rural low- lying areas of central Minnesota where temperatures briefly fall into the mid 30s. Otherwise, highs today will generally reach around 60 to the lower 60s across central & eastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin under sunny skies.

Southerly winds increase Saturday ahead of an approaching cold front, allowing temperatures to warm into the mid to upper 60s, with western & southern Minnesota potentially reaching around 70. A few showers could develop Saturday afternoon, but the best chance for scattered showers comes Saturday evening as the front moves through eastern Minnesota & western Wisconsin. Moisture & forcing both look weak, so many locations may stay dry and rainfall amounts should remain around 0.1-0.25" or less. Showers end Saturday evening with most of the area dry by around midnight.

Cooler northwest flow develops behind the front Sunday with highs falling back into the low to mid 60s, followed by another dry & seasonable day Monday. Upper-level ridging then builds across the central CONUS as warmer Pacific air spreads into the region, beginning a noticeable warming trend Tuesday. Highs should reach the upper 60s to low 70s Tuesday & Wednesday, with even central Minnesota likely approaching 70. The pattern remains quiet with no meaningful precipitation expected through the middle of next week.

Aviation · 12Z TAFs Through 18Z Saturday

550 AM CDT Fri Oct 2 2026

VFR through the period with increasing mid-level clouds through the late afternoon & evening. Light northwest winds this morning shift to southeasterly during the afternoon & evening. Speeds remain around 5 kts or less today, but increase early Saturday morning. Gusts of 20-25 kts are likely by sunrise at most Minnesota terminals.

KMSP...Winds flip from northwesterly to southeasterly late this afternoon/evening, most likely by 5-6 PM.

/OUTLOOK FOR KMSP/ SAT...VFR, PM -SHRA/MVFR likely. Wind S 10-15kts. SUN...VFR. Wind NW 5-10kts. MON...VFR. Wind SE 5 kts.

MPX Watches / Warnings / Advisories

MN...None. WI...None.

Hazardous weather outlook Oct 2, 3:43 AM CDT

The office’s own seven-day heads-up for spotters and emergency managers.

FLUS43 KMPX 020843
HWOMPX

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
343 AM CDT Fri Oct 2 2026

MNZ041>045-047>070-073>078-082>085-091>093-WIZ014>016-023>028-
030845-
Douglas-Todd-Morrison-Mille Lacs-Kanabec-Stevens-Pope-Stearns-
Benton-Sherburne-Isanti-Chisago-Lac Qui Parle-Swift-Chippewa-
Kandiyohi-Meeker-Wright-Hennepin-Anoka-Ramsey-Washington-
Yellow Medicine-Renville-McLeod-Sibley-Carver-Scott-Dakota-
Redwood-Brown-Nicollet-Le Sueur-Rice-Goodhue-Watonwan-Blue Earth-
Waseca-Steele-Martin-Faribault-Freeborn-Polk-Barron-Rusk-
St. Croix-Pierce-Dunn-Pepin-Eau Claire-
343 AM CDT Fri Oct 2 2026

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central and
southern Minnesota, and west central Wisconsin.

.DAY ONE...Today and Tonight.

No hazardous weather is expected at this time.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday.

No hazardous weather is expected at this time.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN spotter activation will not be needed.

$$

The outlooks beyond

SPC, WPC, CPC and the Drought Monitor, read at this point

The national centers each publish a judgment the local grid does not carry. Read here at this exact coordinate.

Severe weather

  1. Day 1 · Fri Oct 2No risk area
  2. Day 2 · Sat Oct 3General Thunderstorms Risk
  3. Day 3 · Sun Oct 4No risk area
  4. Day 4 · Mon Oct 5No risk area
  5. Day 5 · Tue Oct 6No risk area
  6. Day 6 · Wed Oct 7No risk area
  7. Day 7 · Thu Oct 8No risk area
  8. Day 8 · Fri Oct 9No risk area

Rainfall

  1. Day 1 · Fri Oct 2Under 0.01 in
  2. Day 2 · Sat Oct 30.01 in
  3. Day 3 · Sun Oct 4Under 0.01 in
  4. Day 4-5 · Oct 5–Oct 6Under 0.01 in
  5. Day 6-7 · Oct 7–Oct 80.01 in

The rainfall forecast on the map, days 1 to 7

Six to fourteen days

  1. Days 6–10 · Temperature50% chance above normalOct 7–Oct 11
  2. Days 6–10 · Precipitation40% chance below normalOct 7–Oct 11
  3. Days 8–14 · Temperature50% chance above normalOct 9–Oct 15
  4. Days 8–14 · Precipitation40% chance below normalOct 9–Oct 15

Drought

  1. Drought Monitor, map of Sep 29D1 Moderate drought
  2. Outlook for Oct 2026Drought removal likely

Drought in this county: the map, the record since 2000 and the outlook

Frost and climate

NOAA 1991-2020 normals, Long Prairie

The last spring freeze (32°F) usually comes around May 13 and the first fall freeze around September 27: a growing season of about 134 days.

One fall in ten brings a freeze by September 13; one spring in ten still has one after May 28.

Climate of 46.00, -94.90: normals, records and every month

Everything else on the grid

NWS forecast grid · 24 elements

The forecast office edits about sixty fields for every cell of its grid. The common ones are above; these are the rest, as the daily extreme, for anyone who needs the mixing height, the fire danger or the swell.

ElementFriSatSunMonTueWedThuFri
Wet bulb globe temperature max54°59°56°56°65°62°60°60°
Heat index max70°
Wind chill min37°39°41°37°44°47°46°
Chance of thunder max1%10%2%0%1%1%3%1%
Cloud ceiling min-100 ft-100 ft
Visibility min10 mi10 mi
Mixing height max4,500 ft3,100 ft5,200 ft3,400 ft2,800 ft3,300 ft4,100 ft2,600 ft
Transport wind max13 mph25 mph18 mph17 mph21 mph15 mph18 mph14 mph

Against the record

NOAA GHCN · Long Prairie (14Y) · 6.8 mi away

Each forecast day against the same calendar date at the nearest long-record station: the 1991 to 2020 normal, and the record high and low with the year they were set.

DayForecastNormalRecord highRecord low
Fri Oct 260° / 36°61° / 37°90° (1953)13° (1974)
Sat Oct 363° / 44°61° / 39°88° (2023)22° (1989)
Sun Oct 461° / 37°59° / 38°86° (1937)24° (1989)
Mon Oct 561° / 47°59° / 39°90° (1947)18° (1952)
Tue Oct 670° / 50°59° / 41°87° (1961)15° (1976)
Wed Oct 767° / 47°60° / 39°85° (1909)17° (1976)
Thu Oct 865° / 46°61° / 38°90° (1905)18° (1917)
Fri Oct 965° / 50°61° / 40°83° (2010)17° (1964)

Sun and moon

DayCivil twilightSunriseSunsetCivil twilightDaylightMoon
Fri6:50 AM7:19 AM6:57 PM7:27 PM11 h 38 min Waning gibbous · 64% lit
Sat6:51 AM7:21 AM6:56 PM7:25 PM11 h 35 min Last quarter · 53% lit
Sun6:52 AM7:22 AM6:54 PM7:23 PM11 h 32 min Last quarter · 43% lit
Mon6:54 AM7:23 AM6:52 PM7:22 PM11 h 29 min Waning crescent · 32% lit
Tue6:55 AM7:25 AM6:50 PM7:20 PM11 h 25 min Waning crescent · 23% lit
Wed6:56 AM7:26 AM6:48 PM7:18 PM11 h 22 min Waning crescent · 15% lit
Thu6:57 AM7:27 AM6:46 PM7:16 PM11 h 19 min Waning crescent · 8% lit
Fri6:59 AM7:29 AM6:44 PM7:14 PM11 h 15 min Waning crescent · 3% lit

Forecast from the National Weather Service forecast grid at api.weather.gov, updated by the local office through the day; the written periods and hourly digest are the NWS’s own. Outlooks from the Storm Prediction Center, the Weather Prediction Center and the Climate Prediction Center via NOAA’s map services. Records and normals from NOAA’s Global Historical Climatology Network. Sun and moon computed here. Place names from GeoNames (CC BY 4.0).

What is here

Seven days
The high, the low, the chance and amount of rain and snow, the wind and the forecaster’s words for each day and night, from the National Weather Service grid for the exact cell your town sits in.
Hour by hour
Temperature, what it feels like, dew point, humidity, chance and amount of precipitation, wind and gusts, sky cover, the chance of thunder, pressure, visibility and ceiling, as a chart and as a table, with nights shaded.
Everything else on the grid
The office edits about sixty fields for every cell. The ones the mainstream forecast pages leave out are here as a daily table: HeatRisk, wet bulb globe temperature, lightning activity, mixing height, transport wind, the fire weather indices, and at the coast the waves and swell.
The discussion
The Area Forecast Discussion the forecaster wrote to explain the forecast, in their own words, with the specialist annexes folded away. Also the office’s hazardous weather outlook.
Beyond the week
The Storm Prediction Center’s severe weather category for each of the next eight days, the Weather Prediction Center’s rainfall forecast to day seven and its winter storm severity, and the Climate Prediction Center’s odds for days six to fourteen, all read at your coordinate.
Against the record
Each forecast day beside the same date at the nearest long-record station: the thirty-year normal and the record high and low with their years, so a forecast high that would break a record says so.
The next 90 days
The forecast as far as the grid, the National Blend and the global models reach, and the calendar after that: the normal and the record for every date, with the Climate Prediction Center’s lean for the weeks, the month and the season drawn over them. No made-up highs for a date three months out.

Common questions

Where does this forecast come from?

From the National Weather Service forecast grid published at api.weather.gov, the same grid the local forecast office edits through the day and the source of every forecast on weather.gov. The written periods, the hourly digest and the forecaster’s discussion are the NWS’s own products, shown as issued. Nothing here is a blend a website made.

How far ahead does it go?

The grid runs seven days ahead, hour by hour for the first days and in three to six hour steps after that. The National Blend of Models carries the days to eleven and the global models to sixteen. Beyond that the page carries the national centers’ outlooks, severe weather to day eight, rainfall to day seven, and the Climate Prediction Center’s odds for the coming weeks, month and season, over a ninety-day calendar of the normal and the record for each date. No forecast has skill day by day past about two weeks, and this page does not print one.

Why is this different from the app on my phone?

Most forecast apps show a blend of models chosen by the company that makes the app. This page shows the forecast the local National Weather Service office issues, edited by the forecasters who will also issue the warnings, and it shows all of it rather than the six numbers that fit on a phone. The discussion explains the reasoning, which no app carries.

What is a place’s address here?

Every town has its own page, such as /forecast/us/oklahoma/oklahoma-city/, and every day at a town has one too. A ZIP code typed into the search goes to the town it belongs to. Any coordinate at all can be looked up, and the page names the nearest town.

What the weather actually was · Open the live radar · Where the data comes from