Blizzard warnings in Northwest Minnesota, winter weather advisories across the state

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The sky took on a strange blue hue over Minnesota today.

Our seemingly perpetual gray shroud has lifted across most of Minnesota. A few pockets of stubborn gray remained Monday afternoon. But NOAA's GOES 1 km satellite shows the larger clearing trend in progress.

Here's another great view of the water cycle at work Monday. Check out 

 overlooking Excelsior Bay on Lake Minnetonka shows condensation, evaporation, clearing skies and cumulus and stratus reforming in the warm afternoon sun. Weather magic that you can't see in the (still pretty) snap shot below.

Thermometers soared as the sun came out. Temps blew past forecast model guidance, hitting the 60-degree mark at MSP Airport and a few other Minnesota locations Monday afternoon. It's a good reminder that the sun is as high in the sky as September 15th, and delivering some serious solar energy at our latitude.

https://twitter.com/MPRweather/status/846476095805382659

MSP Airport topped out at 61 degrees today.  That makes Monday the warmest day in 3 weeks, since we hit 65 degrees on March 6th.

Highs struggled to reach the 30s up north last week and 40s in the south. Not this week. We take another step forward into spring, with highs mostly in the 50s with the occasional 60 degree day. NOAA's National Digital Forecast Database still looks a little conservative to me, but cranks out upper 50s to near 60 at times into the weekend.

With temperatures running a good 5 to 10 degrees warmer than average these last days of March, it looks like a lock we'll bank our 

record 19th straight warmer than average month

Don't look now but 2017 is unfolding a little on the dry side so far.

https://twitter.com/NWSTwinCities/status/846438869327335424

Wednesday low pressure system steers rain south through Iowa. I'm forecasting a mostly dry week ahead. Southerly breezes will boost temps this weekend and early next week. I predict a run of 60s, and green grass in our future.

Here's NOAA's GFS model into next Monday.

https://twitter.com/Twins/status/846398347212677120

The early read on next Monday looks cautiously favorable for the 2017 Minnesota Twins home opener. NOAA's GFS model cranks out temps in the 60s next Monday.

The usually trusty European model hangs onto some showers next Monday. I'll want to see a few more model runs before I'm sold on a beautiful home opener next Monday. But the early signs look positive.

In the not so distant future, many of us will drive our electric cars home into the garage and plug into the solar roof. Telsa begins taking orders next month.

https://twitter.com/ClimateCentral/status/846468631194161152

Climate change causing a stuck jet stream pattern?

It's called "Arctic Amplification." Warmer air at the poles promotes bigger, loopier waves in a more sluggish jet stream. That means more frequent stuck weather patterns that can deliver extreme rains, or a rapid descent into drought. That theory got a boost this week.

https://twitter.com/ClimateCentral/status/846455044472012803

Climate change links to drought, famine and security risks

The links between changes in climate and famine continue to grow. What happens when millions of people are at risk for starvation and mass migrations happen? It's usually not a good outcome.

https://twitter.com/ClimateCentral/status/846485248519081984

Often the first impacts of a developing El Nino come in Peru. This looks a lot like a burgeoning El Nino event to me.

https://twitter.com/ClimateCentral/status/846412017443487745

MSP hits 61! Heading for 19 straight warm months

Go Deeper.

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