Minnesota weather: Soaking rain moves through Twin Cities Friday, 1+ inches possible

(FOX 9) - A steady shield of rain is pushing through central and southern Minnesota, the Twin Cities metro, the Interstate 94 corridor and points south, with the wet weather expected to linger into the weekend before conditions finally improve by Sunday.

Friday forecast

What we know:

Friday is shaping up to be a damp, cool and breezy day across a wide stretch of Minnesota. Temperatures will be stuck in the upper 50s and low 60s, driven down by a solid easterly breeze. Even during any brief breaks in the rain, conditions will still feel damp and cool throughout the day.

Rain will begin to ease and become more scattered as the evening progresses, but that scattered nature could actually trigger some locally heavy downpours — particularly in southeastern Minnesota, where pockets of 3 to 4 inches of rain will be possible overnight.

Rain totals to watch

Big picture view:

Widespread rainfall amounts of an inch or more are likely along and south of Highway 12, which includes much of the Twin Cities metro. Some parts of the metro could see close to 1.5 to 2 inches. 

The heaviest pockets — 4 inches or more — are expected in southeastern Minnesota, northern Iowa and southwestern Wisconsin.

Extended forecast

What's next:

Saturday is expected to stay mostly cloudy and dreary, with some leftover drizzle possible in the morning. A couple of light showers could also pop up in parts of southern Minnesota Saturday afternoon. Temperatures will inch up only slightly, with a high of around 64 degrees in the metro.

Sunday brings the best chance for improvement, with brighter skies and temperatures approaching 70 degrees. It won't be full sunshine, but it should feel noticeably better. However, a few scattered showers are expected to return early next week — right around the time fall officially begins on Tuesday.