Snow tapering up north; cold weekend, cold week ahead

The snow and ice storm that smacked northern Minnesota continues to wind down Friday morning. A winter weather advisory for lingering light snow will continue until noon for north-central and northeastern Minnesota.

Winter weather advisory until noon Friday
Winter weather advisory until noon Friday
National Weather Service

Much colder

Much colder air blew in on Thursday and will hang around for all of next week and probably beyond. Here is a quick look at the upcoming five days for the Twin Cities area.

5-day weather forecast for the Twin Cities area
5-day weather forecast for the Twin Cities area
Twin Cities National Weather Service office

The Nicole effect

Our weather will be stuck in place partly because the sprawling remnants of Hurricane Nicole are soaking the East and blocking weather systems farther west from progressing eastward.

Forecast weather map for Friday
Forecast weather map for Friday
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Weather Prediction Center

Afternoon high temperatures on Friday will be just from the mid-20s to the low 30s with a raw northwest breeze. The Twin Cities should see a chilly high of about 33 degrees with that northwest wind of 15 to 25 mph. Decorative flurries are possible.

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Cold weekend

Afternoon high temperatures will continue to run at least 10 degrees colder than normal for the weekend. But the good news is that the wind will weaken Friday night and remain light for the weekend. The Twin Cities should see highs around 30 both Saturday and Sunday.

Cold next week

The cold air will hang around all next week. The six to 10-day temperature outlook indicates an extremely high chance that the period next Wednesday through Sunday, Nov. 16-20, will be colder than normal for not only Minnesota and Wisconsin but much of the middle of the country.

6-10 day temperature outlook for next Wednesday through Sunday
6-10 day temperature outlook for next Wednesday through Sunday
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Climate Prediction Center

Here is what next Friday’s highs might look like:

Forecast high temperatures next Friday
Forecast high temperatures next Friday
NOAA Weather Prediction Center

How long will December-like weather persist?

Longer range forecast models indicate that Minnesota is likely to remain colder than normal for nearly two weeks, until about Thanksgiving. Definitely sweater and sweatshirt weather.

Next snow chances

Periods of light snow are possible early next week, probably beginning on Monday. Accumulations might come our way but a major storm is unlikely.