Brandon Weatherz: Tracking smoke, showers, and temps

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Wildfire smoke will return to the surface from the northwest through the day today. An Air Quality Alert is in effect across northern Minnesota until noon Saturday with Orange AQI expected. Sensitive groups should limit outdoor exertion. Air quality improves from the north through Saturday morning.

The large low that has been spinning to our north all week will gradually move southward toward the Canadian border through the weekend. This will be responsible for consistently breezy winds, sporadic rain showers, and a cooling trend from the north. Highs range from upper 70s to mid-80s today, upper 60s to upper 70s tomorrow, and from low 60s to low 70s Sunday.

Our Friday starts dry and generally stays that way into the afternoon, but instability from daytime heating will allow isolated thunderstorms to fire off starting around 3 pm. Storm chances move east of the Twin Ports across the Arrowhead and northwest Wisconsin through the evening. We look north of the Iron Range for a few showers tonight.

Saturday features a low chance for a passing shower or weak thunderstorm, mostly north of U.S. Hwy 2. A more widespread round of showers and weak thunderstorms sweep the region from the north Sunday morning and gradually move east in the afternoon and evening.

Today: Partly cloudy, warm, breezy, and becoming smoky. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible in the late afternoon and evening. High 82. W wind 10-15 mph. Chance of rain: 20%

Tonight: Partly cloudy. Low 57. W wind 5-10 mph.

Tomorrow: Partly cloudy and breezy with a slight chance for showers. High 75. W wind 10-15 mph. Chance of rain: 20%

Tomorrow night: Partly cloudy. Low 53. W wind 5-15 mph.

Sunday: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers. High 70. W wind 10-15 mph. Chance of rain: 40%

Monday: Partly cloudy and breezy with a slight chance for showers. High 72. NW wind 10-15 mph. Chance of rain: 20%

Tuesday: Mostly sunny. High 75. E wind 5-10 mph.

Wednesday: Partly sunny with scattered thunderstorms. High 78. E wind 5-10 mph. Chance of rain: 40%.

Thursday: Partly sunny with scattered showers. High 76. N wind 10-15 mph. Chance of rain: 40%