A bit cooler, with drizzle possible; temps rebound a bit Monday and Tuesday
Monday shower chance southwest
We hit 46 degrees Saturday afternoon in the Twin Cities, while southwestern and west-central Minnesota saw some lower 50s. Our Sunday highs will be a bit cooler than those Saturday highs.
Temperature trends
Much of Minnesota and western Wisconsin will see Sunday highs in the 30s, with a few lower 40s possible in southwestern Minnesota. Some spots in the Twin Cities metro area will top out around 40. Our average Nov. 17 high temp is 40 in the Twin Cities.
Monday highs reach 40 or higher in the metro area and roughly the southwestern half of Minnesota, with 30s elsewhere:
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Tuesday highs reach the 40s in most of central and southern Minnesota, with some lower 50s southwest:
Far northern Minnesota will top out in the 30s on Tuesday.
Twin Cities metro area highs are projected to reach the lower 40s Wednesday, followed by mid 30s on Thursday and Friday.
Rain, snow and drizzle chances
We’re starting our Sunday with areas of fog and drizzle in the Twin Cities metro area, while northeastern Minnesota has some areas of drizzle and light snow, with patchy morning freezing drizzle also possible. Southeastern Minnesota and parts of western Wisconsin will have a Sunday morning mix of light rain and light snow, with patchy freezing drizzle also possible.
The Duluth office and the Twin Cities office and the La Crosse, Wisc. office of the National Weather Service will have weather today. Listen for updated weather information on the MPR network, and you’ll also see updated weather info on the MPR News live weather blog.
On Monday, scattered rain/sleet and light snow could move across west-central and southwestern Minnesota. Parts of northern Minnesota could see a wintry mix Monday afternoon and evening. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's North American Mesoscale (NAM) forecast model shows the potential precipitation pattern Monday and Monday evening:
The Twin Cities metro area will have a chance of drizzle by late Monday afternoon, with a sprinkle/flurry chance Monday evening.
Check forecast updates.
Thanksgiving weather extremes
It’s still too early to accurately forecast our Thanksgiving Day 2019 weather. A check of Thanksgiving weather data posted by the Minnesota State Climatology Office shows these extremes over the past 20 Thanksgivings:
Warmest high temp: 60 degrees, in 2012
Coldest high temp: 10 degrees, in 2014
Most snowfall: 1.3 inches, in 2015
That high temp in 2012 tied for our third warmest Thanksgiving in Twin Cities weather records, according to the Climatology Office:
Having a mild day in the 50's on Thanksgiving Day is relatively rare, looking at the historical record back to 1872. A maximum of 50 or more has happened only eleven times in 144 years, or about once every 13 years or so. The warmest Thanksgiving Day is a tie of 62 degrees in 1914 and 1922. The mildest recent Thanksgiving Day was 60 degrees on November 22, 2012. This tied 1939 as the third warmest Thanksgiving back to 1872 for the Twin Cities.
Programming note
You can hear my live weather updates on Minnesota Public Radio at 7:49 a.m. Thursdays and Fridays and at 7:35 a.m., 9:35 a.m. and 4:35 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday.