Frigid temperatures this weekend prompt cold weather advisories

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If you want to string the holiday lights or just play outdoors, Saturday’s weather will cooperate. High temperatures will be even be a few degrees warmer than average!

Our average high temp is 37 degrees this time of year in the Twin Cities. We’re shooting for lower 40s this Saturday. Highs in the 40s are expected Saturday afternoon across roughly the southern half of Minnesota as well as west-central and southwestern Wisconsin. Highs will be in the 30s across much of northern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin.

Sunday highs reach the 40s in many areas, and could top 50 degrees in parts of the southwest:

Most of northern Minnesota will reach the 30s Sunday afternoon.

Monday highs will feature 40s south and 30s north:

Twin Cities metro area highs are projected to be in the mid to upper 30s on Tuesday, followed by mid 30s Wednesday and Thursday and upper 30s Friday.

One forecast model shows a chance of rain and snow showers in far northern Minnesota Sunday afternoon into Sunday night.  Western Minnesota could see a few Sunday afternoon sprinkles, with a chance of a sprinkle late Sunday afternoon/Sunday evening in the Twin Cities metro area.

The next strong low-pressure system is expected to spin to our southeast on Tuesday and Tuesday night. Southeastern Minnesota could see some snow if it takes that track, with heavier snow amounts possible on parts of Iowa and southern/eastern Wisconsin.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Global Forecast System (GFS) model shows this potential precipitation pattern next Tuesday through Wednesday morning:

The Twin Cities could see a sprinkle or flurry Tuesday afternoon and evening, but check forecast updates; a northward shift in the track would give us some accumulating snow late Tuesday.

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As for Thanksgiving, there still isn’t a lot of agreement among the forecast models. Some forecast models give Minnesota and western Wisconsin a chance of rain showers and snow showers Thursday PM, with a better chance of rain and snow on Friday. Check forecast updates as we get closer to Thanksgiving.

Our 2019 precipitation total (rain plus the water content of snow) at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport is 40.03 inches. We’re only three-tenths of an inch from surpassing the wettest year on record in the Twin Cities, which was 40.32 inches in 2016:

We still have the rest of November and all of December to break that record!

You can hear my live weather updates on Minnesota Public Radio at 7:35 a.m., 9:35 a.m. and 4:35 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday.

Weather and Climate News

Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Ron Trenda

Author

It’s great when we have at least one nice weekend day. Saturday will be the sunniest day of this weekend, and both weekend days will feature slightly milder than average temperatures. We have the latest on which areas have the best snow chances this coming Tuesday.

A very nice Saturday, sprinkle chance Sunday PM; snow in some areas on Tuesday

Go Deeper.

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