Busy Wednesday evening

Posted at 4:46 PM on August 1, 2012 by Bill Endersen

A cold front sliding southeast across Minnesota is beginning to activate the hot, humid air over the southern half of Minnesota late this afternoon. Thunderstorms will be developing and some are likely to be strong or severe. Here is the way it looks from space:

National Weather Service

The bigger storms are out in South Dakota. But on the satellite photo you can see a lot of building cumulus clouds. Some of those cumulus will turn into thunderstorms across central Minnesota including the metro area. I am expecting numerous thunderstorms to form. Some will be strong and a few might become severe. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is likely to be issued by 7 p.m., but a major outbreak of severe weather is not likely.

This photo of a mid-day storm that dropped hail bigger than one-inch in Minneapolis on June 14 certainly had an ominous look:

A better chance for a more significant severe weather should come our way late on Friday.

Bill Endersen

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