Low-stratus season arrives; Sunday the nicer day this weekend

November brings peak cloudiness in Minnesota

https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/meteorological-versus-astronomical-seasons
Four seasons in Minnesota.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Welcome to my least favorite month in Minnesota. I can say something uplifting about nearly every month in Minnesota. I struggle with November.

December brings a fresh wintry landscape that is magical to many of us Minnesotans. January and February can be a challenge, but also bring a wide array of fun outdoor winter recreational opportunities.

March is still more winter than spring in Minnesota, but the first balmy breezes and a higher sun angle hint at the promise of spring.

We are lucky to live in such a beautiful four-season climate in Minnesota. But I could skip November.

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Low-stratus season

November is our cloudiest month of the year in Minnesota. The Twin Cities manages just 39 percent of possible sunshine this month on average. That means about six of every 10 days this month are cloudy on average.

The good news? Minnesota actually trends sunnier as winter unfolds. We flip the equation with about 6 in 10 sunny days by February.

Monthly sunshine averages
Monthly sunshine averages highlighted in blue.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Silver linings people.

Cold, wet October

Our chilly October continued the trend of wetness across Minnesota.

Chill hangs tough

Our late November-like chill lingers. Sunday is the milder day this weekend with highs around 46 in the Twin Cities and southern Minnesota. Next week looks chilly again.

Temperature forecast for Minneapolis
Temperature forecast for Minneapolis
NOAA via Weather Bell

So do the long-range forecast maps. The Twin Cities National Weather Service pretty much nailed it in this tweet.

I do see a one-day warmup by next Saturday. Temperatures could flirt with 50-degrees that day in southern Minnesota.

Good timing.