A shot at 70 degrees Friday; sloppy weekend snow still possible
Wild temperature swings ahead this week
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Welcome to the weather contradiction we call March in Minnesota. This month is running both warmer and snowier than normal across our state, and we’re about to expand our weather extremes later this week.
Parts of the Twin Cities could hit 70 degrees Friday afternoon with snowflakes flying through the sky late Saturday night.
In the meantime, let’s enjoy (celebrate?) our fine early spring weather.
Mostly sunny skies will grace Minnesota through Thursday. Highs are rising through the 50s Wednesday in the south. By Thursday afternoon, temperatures will push into the comfy 60s in the southwestern half of Minnesota with more 50s north.
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Friday brings an extreme temperatures contrast to Minnesota, especially right across the greater Twin Cities area. Highs Friday afternoon will likely reach the 70s into the Twin Cities. We could hit 80 degrees in southern Minnesota Friday afternoon.
A few rain showers and possible thundershowers are possible Friday night.
Weekend slop storm
We are almost done with March in Minnesota. But March is not done with us just yet when it comes to snow. Two separate low-pressure waves will cross Minnesota between Friday and Sunday.
Wave No. 1 rides across northern Minnesota with rain and snow in the far north Friday and Friday night. On the map below, the Canadian GEM model shows the system between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Friday.
Snowfall accumulating between 1 and 3 inches with locally heavier totals are likely in the far north.
Wave No. 2 favors central and southern Minnesota Saturday into early Sunday. The Canadian GEM model forecast loop below shows the second wave between 1 p.m. Saturday and 6 a.m. Sunday.
We’re still 72 hours away from the Saturday system, so snowfall projections will change. But Wednesday’s model runs seem to favor laying out the band of significant snow from the northern Twin Cities to the west and north.
Several sloppy inches could fall from western through central Minnesota Saturday night.
Wednesday’s 12Z European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts model snowfall output keeps most of the snow north of the Twin Cities:
Wednesday’s 12Z Artificial Intelligence Forecasting System model from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts lays out the snow band closer to the Twin Cities with some accumulations favoring the northern Twin Cities.
I won’t show the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Global Forecast System model yet. It slams the Twin Cities with accumulations but it’s been unreliable lately.
Stay tuned as we watch the system evolve.