Several severe lines of storms could hit Minnesota amid 'ring of fire' pattern

After a relatively dry week across Minnesota another stretch of active weather is on tap as the National Weather Service is monitoring parts of the state for severe storms on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

On Saturday, there could be some stronger storms around sunrise in western Minnesota followed by severe storms that redevelop in the afternoon and dive southeast. Where those storms redevelop is tough to predict and the severe threat could be dampened if the morning round of showers and storms results in extensive cloud cover and less daytime heating. There could also be a cap in place that could prevent storms from developing until after dark.

The HRRR model below shows minimal morning activity followed by explosive thunderstorm development Saturday afternoon in central Minnesota. The GIF below represents 5 a.m. Saturday through 5 a.m. Sunday.

"If thunderstorms can develop, the environment would support a few strong to severe storms capable of producing damaging winds, large hail, and a tornado or two near initiation," the National Weather Service office in Chanhassen said in its forecast discussion.

The Storm Prediction Center says the hail and tornado threats are lower than the damaging wind threat, and that would be evident with storms Saturday, Sunday and again on Monday. The setup is effectively a "ring of fire" fire scenario where a dome of heat builds and each day could yield a mesoscale convective system (MCS), which is a term meteorologists use to describe a complex or line of storms that blasts across a given area and is capable of producing damaging winds.

"This pattern will be similar to the traditional 'ring of fire' pattern that is known for producing several [MCSs] over the course of a few days along the northern edge of the ridge," the NWS Twin Cities says.

Official forecasts for Sunday and Monday won't become very clear until the previous nights' storm locations are known, so expect better clarity each day, Saturday-Monday.

"Please stay weather aware and have multiple methods to receive warnings if you're planning any outdoor activities this weekend," the NWS says. "All severe hazards are possible, but background conditions should favor MCS development, meaning damaging wind gusts would become the primary threat."