Justin Liles: Rain chances return this weekend

Our weather pattern will shift enough to push any threat of wildfire smoke out of the Northland for most of the weekend. Southerly winds sustained around 10 mph in northeast Minnesota and 5 to 10 mph in northwest Wisconsin are forecast on Saturday with high temperatures in the 70s. Scattered rain showers and thunderstorms will develop across northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin Saturday afternoon and become numerous Saturday evening and night and into Sunday.

Widespread rainfall amounts of one quarter to three quarters of an inch are forecast by Sunday evening. Additional scattered rain showers and thunderstorms are forecast again on Monday. Temperatures are expected to warm back into the upper 70s and lower 80s Wednesday into Thursday.
Tonight
A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly before 8pm. Patchy fog after 4am. Otherwise, mostly clear, with a low around 46. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Saturday
A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 3pm. Patchy fog before 7am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 71. South wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 15 mph.
Saturday Night
A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 1am. Patchy fog between midnight and 4am. Low around 52. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 15 mph.
Sunday
A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 7am, then a chance of showers between 7am and 1pm, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 68. Breezy, with a west wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Monday
Showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 10am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near Tuesday
A slight chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 74. Northwest wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Wednesday
Sunny, with a high near 79. West wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 15 mph.
Thursday
Showers likely. Partly sunny, with a high near 76. Breezy, with a southeast wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Friday
Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 69. Breezy, with an east wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.