Severe Thunderstorm Watch Issued in Mendota Heights, Dakota County

The Mendota Heights area is part of a severe thunderstorm watch covering 34 counties in southern and central Minnesota, according to the National Weather Service.

The watch is scheduled to expire at 1 a.m. Thursday.

Looking forward, Friday evening into Saturday morning "could be one of the more active severe weather days we have seen in this otherwise fairly quiet summer in terms of severe weather." 

Here is the full watch issued Wednesday:

DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS A COLD FRONT DRIFTS SLOWLY SOUTH ACROSS THE REGION. A FEW OF THE STORMS MAY BE SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. IN ADDITION...THE HEAT AND HUMIDITY LATE WILL CAUSE HEAT INDEX VALUES BETWEEN 95 AND 100 DEGREES IN MANY LOCATIONS ACROSS WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA.

DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN THE FRIDAY AFTERNOON TO EARLY SATURDAY MORNING TIME FRAME AS WELL. ALTHOUGH IT IS STILL A COUPLE DAYS AWAY...IT APPEARS SEVERE WEATHER IS POSSIBLE WITH THIS LATE WEEK SYSTEM. IN FACT...IF THE PATTERN HOLDS TOGETHER...IT COULD BE ONE OF THE MORE ACTIVE SEVERE WEATHER DAYS WE HAVE SEEN IN THIS OTHERWISE FAIRLY QUIET SUMMER IN TERMS OF SEVERE WEATHER.