Arctic now; feeling 40 degrees warmer in 48 hours
A major thaw begins Friday. Many locations will hit 40 degrees this weekend.
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We’re less than 48 hours away from a major pattern change Minnesota.
Our current arctic chill lingers through Thursday night. But milder Pacific breezes blow in Friday, and temperatures will respond sharply upward by Friday afternoon.
But on Wednesday we are reminded that it’s still February in Minnesota. Wind chills are near or below zero across Minnesota.
We endure one more very cold night Wednesday across the Upper Midwest. Temperatures likely dip just below zero in the Twin Cities. Teens and 20s below are likely again across northern Minnesota.
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Pacific flow
Big weather changes across the Upper Midwest start with changes in the upper winds. Fast-moving rivers of air several miles up in the atmosphere drive weather systems and air masses at ground level where we live.
The upper-air maps this weekend show a flow aloft directly from the North Pacific. That means milder air will spill into the Upper Midwest from Friday right through next Monday.
Highs will reach the 30s across most of Minnesota from Friday through Monday.
Forecast models are often too conservative with extreme temperature situations. My read of the inbound air mass suggests we’re likely to see highs push into the 40s across much of western and southern Minnesota including the Twin Cities between Friday and Monday.
