Highs in the 80s Wednesday, red flag warning for much of Minnesota

Wednesday will be hot, windy and very dry in Minnesota, prompting critical fire danger for much of the state.

A red flag warning will be in place from noon to 8 p.m. for much of western, central and southern Minnesota. The Twin Cities are not included in the warning, but still face an elevated fire risk.

Expect highs to climb into the mid-80s.

Thursday should top out in the 70s and bring our next round of storms, developing late and offering potentially damaging winds and hail to the Twin Cities on south.

Showers will linger into early Friday, when cooler air settles in.

The weekend is looking seasonable and quiet, with highs in the 50s and 60s. The cooler pattern will hold into early next week, when another round of rain is possible.