Heavy showers and thunderstorms are possible late Thursday afternoon and Thursday evening as a cold front moves across the state. The main dangers are heavy hail, damaging winds and the possibility of tornadoes.

The Storm Prediction Center has issued a low risk of severe weather (2/5) for the eastern half of Minnesota. The current scenario suggests that isolated thunderstorms will develop across central/eastern Minnesota and into northern/central Iowa by late afternoon, along or just ahead of the cold front.

The storms are expected to begin as isolated cells but quickly develop into a strong line of thunderstorms. These lines may bring stronger wind gusts along their path.

Moisture will continue to move north, intensifying thunderstorms. Dew points are expected to rise to above 18 to below 21 degrees Celsius by Thursday night.

The storms are expected to reach the Twin Cities sometime between 5 and 7 p.m.

We will continue to monitor the risk of severe weather until late afternoon and evening. You can find current information on the severe weather in our Updraft blog.