Meteorologist Joseph Williams

Saturday (Apr. 25) will start the weekend on a mild, mostly quiet note. A few rain showers will sweep into Lakes Country between late morning and late afternoon. Not much moisture is expected, however, and most areas will see partly sunny skies. We're also looking at a seasonably cool day, with lows in the 30s and highs in the 50s.

The main story, however, comes between Sunday evening and Monday (Apr. 26 - 27). During that time, steady rain will sweep into our region. The steady rain will drop over 1" of rain in some areas, leading to soggy conditions and travel impacts. The bulk of the moisture will come on Monday. Thus, we have declared a First Alert Weather Day for Monday. Watch Valley News Live or download the VNL First Alert Weather App to get the latest forecast regarding our First Alert Weather Day on Monday and to see how long temperatures will stay in the 50s.

Most of our region gets a break from the active weather pattern this upcoming Saturday (Apr. 25). That changes heading into Sunday and Monday (Apr. 26 - 27), however. We are declaring a First Alert Weather Day for Monday, as steady rain will move through our region. Get the latest First Alert Forecast here!

Partly cloudy Saturday with rain chances increasing for Sunday First Alert StormTeam Weather

Overnight into Thursday (Apr. 23), we have a First Alert Weather Day, due to the threat of isolated severe thunderstorms and fire conditions. Find out the timing and impacts of the storms, and get a peek of the weekend forecast, right here!

FIRST ALERT WEATHER DAY TONIGHT & THURSDAY: Isolated severe thunderstorms are possible starting tonight First Alert StormTeam Weather

Monday (Apr. 20) will be the opposite of this past weekend, as the workweek will start on a warm note. Strong southerly gusts above 30 mph, plus sunny skies, will raise temperatures into the upper-60s. That's above average for mid-April. Those same strong winds, however, will be accompanied by low humidity. That means fires that are started may burn out of control. Thus, a Fire Weather Watch is in effect for western MN from late morning to mid-evening Monday. Outdoor burning is not limited.

As we approach midweek, warmer, more summerlike temperatures, are on the way. Towards the end of the week, however, a complex low-pressure system will bring an active weather pattern our way. Showers, and even thunderstorm chances, are anticipated on Thursday (Apr. 23), followed by isolated wintry mix and rain chances approaching the weekend. Watch Valley News Live or download the VNL First Alert Weather App to stay updated regarding our next weather maker and to see how long the warm weather will last.

The southern half of our region felt like summertime today (Apr. 16), with highs in the 80s and sunny skies. Friday (Apr. 17), however, will be completely different.

Friday is a First Alert Weather Day for two reasons. First, overnight into Friday morning, a band of wintry mix and snow will push into our region. The areas most affected will be eastern ND, the northern Valley, and northwest MN. The wintry mix and snow will bring ice and snow accumulations, which will cause travel impacts. The precipitation moves out of our region early afternoon. Because of the potential impacts, a Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for the northern half of the Valley until 10 AM Friday. The second reason is that, throughout the day, strong northwest gusts above 30 mph will keep temperatures in the 30s, much cooler than average for this time of year. Keep the VNL Weather App handy as we track the wintry precipitation, the wind, and the cold.

Over the weekend, cold air will linger in some areas. Warmer temperatures are on the way, however. Watch Valley News Live or download the VNL First Alert Weather App to stay up to date regarding our next weather maker and next week.

So far, Wednesday (Apr. 15) is the warmest day of 2026, with highs in the low-70s in some areas. A warm front will continue lingering in the central RRV heading into Thursday (Apr. 16). As a result, the southern half of our region will see highs in the 70s. The northern areas, meanwhile, will see temperatures in the 30s and 40s. Additionally, we're looking at mostly sunny skies across our region. The only issue is that strong southwesterly winds, and low humidity, means a fire weather risk in Lakes Country and northeast SD. Be mindful of fire safety.

Then Thursday night into Friday morning (Apr. 17), a pattern change will take place. Wintry mix and snow showers will bring ice and light snow accumulations. The result will be slick spots and potential travel impacts. Additionally, strong northwest winds will keep temperatures in the 30s throughout the day. Because of the wintry precipitation, strong winds and cold temperatures, we have declared Friday a First Alert Weather Day. Watch Valley News Live or download the VNL First Alert Weather App to get the latest updates regarding our First Alert Weather Day and next week.