Roller coaster: Milder Saturday, near record cold, then 40 again by next Friday?

Dramatic temperature swings over the next week.

I imagine Minnesota’s pioneer brochure may have read like this.

“Welcome to Minnesota! Here you may experience sun, rain, sleet, snow, bitter cold and warming trends. In an afternoon.”

Things I’m grateful for this season.

  • A warm house.

  • Polar fleece.

  • MnDOT.

Minnesota temperatures mimic a bad weather ride at the Minnesota State Fair over the next. We warm up briefly into the 40s again Saturday. A few light rain or snow showers ride in with the cold front late Saturday.

By Sunday a biting north wind howls over 30 mph. Temperatures plunge once again Monday as the season’s coldest air mass pushes in. The upwind trajectory with this air mass is straight from the Arctic Circle. Highs struggle into the 20s Monday and Tuesday. Lows hover near zero or in the single digits.

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Winds shift into the south again by next Friday. Temperatures push higher toward 40 degrees again late next week.

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

Up. Down. Repeat.

Milder late November

The medium-range maps suggest our early cold spell will ease in late November. The upper air charts favor a milder Pacific flow across the United States the week before Thanksgiving.

NOAA upper air forecast map for 6 pm November 21
NOAA upper air forecast map for 6 p.m. Nov. 21.
NOAA

NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center favors near-average temperatures in the eight-to-14 day outlook. Milder-than-average air out west may leak toward Minnesota as we approach Thanksgiving week.

NOAA CPC 8-14 day temperature outlook.
EIght-to-14-day temperature outlook.
NOAA

There may still be a few days to get those holidays lights up with temperature in the 40s.