Northern Minnesota is under a new alert until Friday at 7 p.m.

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A calm before the storm Thursday with filtered sunshine and temperatures rising into the 50s and 60s. 

By Friday, highs will soar into the 70s and 80s before the next system arrives, bringing a threat of severe weather to the south, accumulating snow to central Minnesota and the potential for ice up north.

High temperatures on Thursday will warm into the low 60s south, mid to upper 50s for central portions, and 30s and 40s north. 

Mild lows are expected Thursday night as we drop once again into the 40s in central and southern Minnesota. 

A tight temperature gradient will setup across the state on Friday, ranging from the 30s in the north to 80s in the south! This tight temperature gradient is called a 

Plenty of moisture will surge northward with the warm front, causing dew points to rise into the 50s, which is considered humid for this time of year.

A band of snow is expected to set up just north of the Canadian border Thursday night. Areas north of the border could see 6 plus inches, and areas farther south 3 to 6 inches. 

Icing will be a concern with this system for the border areas and along the North Shore, where freezing rain could lead to hazardous conditions. Ice accumulations of a few hundredths of an inch to a one-quarter inch are possible.

A winter storm watch and winter weather advisories will go into effect late Thursday night ahead of the approaching system.

Severe weather threat Friday; rainy Saturday

Friday will stay mostly dry until late evening. Areas south of the warm front will be the main focus for strong to potentially severe storms. 

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Storm Prediction Center has issued a marginal risk for severe weather with the primary threats being large hail and strong winds.

Rain showers will intensify throughout Saturday, with the potential for one-half inch to 1.5 inches of rain, providing much-needed relief to the current drought situation.

Cold air will wrap into the second system, causing rain to transition into snow, primarily across central Minnesota, by Saturday night.

Mandy Thalhuber

Author

A calm before the storm with filtered sunshine and temperatures rising into the 50s and 60s Thursday. By Friday, highs will soar into the 70s and 80s before the next system arrives, bringing a threat of severe weather to the south, accumulating snow to central Minnesota and the potential for ice up north.

MPR News -wx

National Weather Service

Dewpoint temperatures Thursday 1 p.m. to Friday 1 p.m. 

NOAA via College of DuPage Weather

Winter storm watch and winter weather advisory

Iowa Environmental Mesonet- Iowa State University 

NOAA via Weather Prediction Center

Forecast precipitation Saturday morning through Sunday morning

Sunshine and 60s Thursday followed by thunderstorms and snow

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