Weekend thaw arrives; bright sun and mild afternoons

Temperatures reached 40 degrees in parts of Minnesota Friday

It’s here.

Our well-advertised thaw arrives Friday. Temperatures soared into the 30s across most of Minnesota. Some locations reached or exceeded 40 degrees Friday afternoon. Minnesota rides the northern edge of a milder air mass surging north this weekend.

Temperatures Friday afternoon
Temperatures Friday afternoon
Oklahoma Mesonet

This weekend features plenty of sunshine and milder temperatures. The amount of real estate in Minnesota topping 40 degrees will grow this weekend.

Our late February warm spell peaks Sunday across Minnesota. Monday is still mild, but temperatures return to cooler levels with highs in the 20s next week.

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Temperature forecast for Twin Cities
Temperature forecast for Twin Cities
NOAA via Weather Bell

Mild start to March?

The medium-range upper air maps suggest more shots of milder Pacific the first week of March.

Upper air forecast map for 6 pm March 4
Upper air forecast map for 6 p.m. March 4.
NOAA

NOAA’s latest six-to-10-day temperature outlook favors warmer than average temperatures as March arrives.

NOAA 8 to 14-day temperature outlook
NOAA 8 to 14-day temperature outlook
NOAA

I’m always leery of forecasting an early spring in Minnesota. Especially after the last two anomalous years. We’ll see more snow in March, and probably some in April. But the weather odds are against a repeat of the last two years’ major April snow bombs.

My weather spidey senses are telling me that this may be a pretty nice spring in Minnesota.

Stay tuned.