Southern Minnesota highs reach 80s May 25

Post Bulletin reported on Sunday, May 24, that southern Minnesota was heading into a warmer Memorial Day stretch, with more sunshine and highs climbing into the 80s across Rochester and nearby communities. The Rochester-based paper said forecast models pointed to low- to mid-80s temperatures on Monday, May 25, after a cooler and wetter period earlier in the week. National Weather Service forecasts available Sunday backed that warmer turn, showing Rochester near the low 80s to mid-80s for Memorial Day. The shift put southern Minnesota on the warmer side of a holiday weather pattern that remained mixed across other parts of the country. ### How warm was Rochester expected to get on Memorial Day? The National Weather Service forecast for Rochester International Airport on Sunday listed a Memorial Day high of 82 degrees, with a chance of thunderstorms after earlier sunshine. A separate point forecast for Rochester showed a high near 85 degrees on Monday, also with only slight storm chances around the day. (postbulletin.com) Post Bulletin said that same warming trend would push daytime temperatures into the low to mid-80s in Rochester and surrounding counties on May 25. The paper described the pattern as “summer weather” arriving for the holiday weekend. ### Which parts of southern Minnesota were included in that outlook? Olmsted County was included in the National Weather Service’s southern Minnesota forecast area served by the La Crosse, Wisconsin, office. (forecast.weather.gov) Rochester, the largest city in Olmsted County, sat at the center of the local forecasts cited by both Post Bulletin and the weather service. (postbulletin.com) The La Crosse office said in its area forecast discussion issued early Sunday that warming temperatures would continue into Monday and midweek, even as storm chances lingered. Earlier forecast discussions from the same office had also said above- to well-above-normal temperatures were likely from Memorial Day into Wednesday. ### Was the warmup expected to be completely dry? (forecast.weather.gov) The National Weather Service forecast for Rochester on May 24 did not call for a washout on Memorial Day. The Rochester point forecast showed sunny conditions with a slight chance of thunderstorms before 7 a.m. and again after 1 p.m., while the airport forecast showed a chance of thunderstorms later in the day. (forecast.weather.gov) Post Bulletin’s emphasis was on more sunshine and higher temperatures after recent unsettled weather. A separate Post Bulletin weather item published a day earlier also said southern Minnesota would warm quickly through the weekend, with highs returning to the 80s in the near future. ### How unusual was 80-degree weather for Memorial Day in Rochester? (forecast.weather.gov) The National Weather Service’s Memorial Day climate page for Rochester shows the holiday can fall anywhere from May 25 to May 31 and includes long-term local statistics for the date. The same page documents Rochester Memorial Day weather history, including severe thunderstorms in western Olmsted County in 1991. (postbulletin.com) MPR News had already reported on May 20 that Minnesota was looking at 80s for Memorial Day with a dry forecast, adding that a broader warming trend was expected to last well into the following week. That reporting aligned with the warmer outlook that took hold in southern Minnesota by May 24. ### Where could readers check the latest forecast next? (weather.gov) The National Weather Service La Crosse office updated its local forecast pages on May 24 and listed Rochester and Olmsted County forecasts online for Memorial Day. Post Bulletin’s weather coverage on May 24 also pointed readers in Rochester and southeastern Minnesota to the holiday weekend warmup as Monday approached. (weather.gov) (mprnews.org)