Gales of October, first flakes Friday?

Apparently, somebody broke the weather maps while I was away last weekend. Our weather just got real across Minnesota.

The upper air pattern across North America buckles dramatically this week. Strong northwest flow aloft in a wavy jet stream pattern meteorologists call "high amplitude flow" is driving waves of the coldest air of the season into the Upper Midwest.

A family of cold fronts sails south this week. The first snowflakes of the season and a hard freeze likely arrive in the metro starting Friday. This week's weather maps look more typical for mid-November. My weather spidey senses tell me we may get something closer to a real winter this year. Maybe.

Gales of October

When the autumn wind howls like this I shudder in remembrance of the Gales of November in 1975. Today's storm over Lake Superior is impressive. A tightly packed pressure gradient stokes wind gusts to 60 mph across Lake Superior today.

Waves will likely hit 25 feet in Superior's frigid unprotected waters. Gale and storm warnings are in effect.

Tranquil Wednesday ahead

Our weather mellows tomorrow. Cool highs in the 40s and lower 50s remain over northeast Minnesota. Highs may nudge 60 degrees from the Twin Cities south and west. Omaha, Neb., is nice this time of year.

Friday flakes?

There are significant differences between model on how to handle Friday's inbound weather system. The American models favor a rain snow mix. The Canadian and European models favor more rain than snow. Here's the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration North American Mesoscale Forecast System's 12 km resolution model, a rainy snow mix for the Twin Cities Friday with snow north and west.

Twin Cities: First freeze this weekend

It looks like freezing temps will finally make it into the inner urban Twin Cities core this weekend.

Stay warm Minnesota.