Winds of Autumn return Thursday; Near 80 again by Sunday?

81 degree high at MSP Wednesday

Warmest day in 16 days! (90 on September 12th)

67 degree high Thursday

45 mph wind gusts possible Thursday

80 degrees possible again by Sunday

Summery Rerun:

Boy did that feel great!

"Thermal Ridge" pushes east Wednesday

80s made a comeback Wednesday for the metro and eastern Minnesota, even as stubborn clouds held temps in the upper 50s and low 60s all day as close as La Crosse and Eau Claire.

GOES 1km visible image Wednesday PM with temp overlay shows huge temp contrast from 60 east to 90s west!

Garbage Bin Alert: Windy & Colder Thursday:

A strong fall cold front will blast through Minnesota Thursday. Temps behind the front will be as much as 15 to 20 degrees cooler in most areas.

Wind advisories are posted for gusts to 45 mph as the front blows through.

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN

252 PM CDT WED SEP 28 2011

...WINDY CONDITIONS ARRIVING IN THE WAKE OF A COLD FRONT...

.A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA EARLY THURSDAY MORNING...

WITH COOLER TEMPERATURES AND GUSTY WINDS ARRIVING IN ITS WAKE.

NORTHWEST WINDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH WILL QUICKLY DEVELOP IN THE

MORNING... THEN PICKUP TO BETWEEN 20 AND 30 MPH BY AFTERNOON.

WINDS WILL GUST TO AROUND 40 MPH AT TIMES FROM LATE MORNING

THROUGH THE AFTERNOON... WITH A FEW GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 45 MPH

POSSIBLE. WINDS WILL BEGIN TO QUIET DOWN DURING THE EVENING HOURS.

MNZ044-045-050>053-058>063-066>070-075>078-083>085-092-093-

WIZ014>016-023>028-290400-

/O.NEW.KMPX.WI.Y.0013.110929T1500Z-110930T0000Z/

MILLE LACS-KANABEC-BENTON-SHERBURNE-ISANTI-CHISAGO-MEEKER-WRIGHT-

HENNEPIN-ANOKA-RAMSEY-WASHINGTON-MCLEOD-SIBLEY-CARVER-SCOTT-

DAKOTA-NICOLLET-LE SUEUR-RICE-GOODHUE-BLUE EARTH-WASECA-STEELE-

FARIBAULT-FREEBORN-POLK-BARRON-RUSK-ST. CROIX-PIERCE-DUNN-PEPIN-

CHIPPEWA-EAU CLAIRE-

INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...PRINCETON...MORA...FOLEY...ELK RIVER...

CAMBRIDGE...CENTER CITY...LITCHFIELD...MONTICELLO...MINNEAPOLIS...

BLAINE...ST. PAUL...STILLWATER...HUTCHINSON...GAYLORD...CHASKA...

SHAKOPEE...BURNSVILLE...ST. PETER...LE SUEUR...FARIBAULT...

RED WING...MANKATO...WASECA...OWATONNA...BLUE EARTH...

ALBERT LEA...AMERY...BALSAM LAKE...RICE LAKE...BARRON...

LADYSMITH...HUDSON...NEW RICHMOND...RIVER FALLS...PRESCOTT...

MENOMONIE...BOYCEVILLE...DURAND...PEPIN...CHIPPEWA FALLS...

BLOOMER...EAU CLAIRE...ALTOONA

252 PM CDT WED SEP 28 2011

...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TO 7 PM CDT THURSDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN HAS ISSUED

A WIND ADVISORY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TO 7 PM CDT

THURSDAY.

* TIMING...NORTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 15 TO 25 MPH WITH

GUSTS TO 35 MPH BY MID MORNING... THEN INCREASE TO 20 TO 30 MPH

WITH GUSTS ABOVE 40 MPH BY AFTERNOON. A FEW GUSTS ABOVE 45 MPH

WILL BE POSSIBLE.

* WINDS...20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH... AND A FEW ABOVE 45

MPH.

* IMPACTS...LOOSE OBJECTS COULD BE BLOWN AROUND... AND SMALL OR

WEAK BRANCHES COULD COME DOWN IN THE WIND. LIGHT AND HIGH

PROFILE VEHICLES COULD BE IMPACTED.

48 hour cool snap?

Temps will be sharply cooler from Thursday through Saturday afternoon.

The models in the temp chart above may be conservative for Sunday and into next week. We could be pushing 80 again by Sunday or Monday in southwest Minnesota, and maybe the metro.

This could be one of the most spectacular weekends of the fall in Minnesota. Your frienfly weatherman storngly suggests you get out and enjoy!

PH