FXUS63 KMPX 041852 AFDMPX Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 152 PM CDT Tue Aug 4 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - Quiet and dry period through the rest of the week, next chance for isolated showers and storms Friday night. - More chances for isolated to scattered showers and storms over next weekend and into next week. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 151 PM CDT Tue Aug 4 2026 Satellite imagery this afternoon showcases the cold front that brought our overnight showers moving through WI with a field of cumulus across central and northern Minnesota, with an area between the front and cumulus showcasing some wispy smoke from wildfires over the western Rockies. Little of this smoke is expected to reach the surface but it could produce enough of a sky mask to knock high temperatures down by a degree or two this afternoon, with comfortable low to mid 70s expected. Low temperatures tonight will likewise be comfortable in the low 50s outside of the urban heat island, with upper 50s within the Twin Cities. The upper level smoke is not expected to make it to the surface, so you should be safe to open the windows and get some fresh air into your home should you choose to do so. Tomorrow looks to be a bit warmer than today with near 80 high temperatures and mostly sunny skies, with the breeziest winds this week arriving on Thursday with some frequent gusts around 20mph out of the south ahead of our next cold front dropping down later in the day on Friday. Quiet weather is expected to continue today and through Thursday until our next precipitation chances arrive Friday evening/night. Ensembles continue to show very different ideas on upcoming temperatures with the GEFS wanting a push back into the low 90s by Friday and into the weekend with the much cooler EPS peaking in the mid 80s. This also shows within the longer range forecast with some sporadic storm chances arriving this weekend with fairly low confidence given the competing solutions. The warmer GEFS would favor more instability and with any sort of forcing would promote some stronger storms, however could also result in more capping if the lower-mid levels heat up more. Speaking of forcing, a broad frontal boundary will slow move from north to south across Minnesota beginning Friday night and lasting into early next week, with relatively weak forcing given the lack of a strong surface low and weak upper level reinforcement. We are certainly showcasing the southwestern retreat of the heat dome in this situation, with our upper level flow turning more northwesterly causing our upstream flow to come from the PAC NW instead of to the south, limiting our moisture and also introducing a likelihood of some upper level smoke helping to knock down temperatures. Our expectation would be to see temperatures settle closer to the low 80s as we head into mid August, which would be around our average high temperature for this time of year if slightly above normal. && .AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z THURSDAY/... Issued at 1156 AM CDT Tue Aug 4 2026 VFR conditions expected at all terminals the entire period with broken mid-level clouds over southern MN and into western WI. A diurnal cumulus field near 3000 feet is in the process of developing over western and central MN and should spread east in WI this afternoon. The cumulus field will dissipate this evening and mid-level clouds will clear overnight from west to east. West-northwesterly winds near of 5-10 knots will slow to light/variable tonight. Winds increase out of the southwest to 5-10 knots over MN during Wednesday morning. KMSP...No additional concerns. /OUTLOOK FOR KMSP/ THU...VFR. Wind SW 5-10G20kts. FRI...VFR. Wind SW 5-10G20kts. SAT...VFR. Wind S 5-10kts. && .MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MN...None. WI...None. && $$ DISCUSSION...TDH AVIATION...CTG