Pretty nice weekend; springy with some rain and a few storms next week

Spring is taking firm hold across Minnesota

Spring flowers and a bumble bee
Spring flowers and a bumblebee at the Huttner Weather Lab Friday
Paul Huttner | MPR News

We earn our springs and summers in Minnesota. And springtime in Minnesota feels extra sweet this year.

Our air masses are gradually moderating and getting milder. Temperatures in the 60s washed across Minnesota all the way to the Canadian border Friday afternoon.

Temperatures Friday afternoon
Temperatures Friday afternoon
Oklahoma Mesonet

Pretty nice weekend

This weekend will be pretty nice across Minnesota. Highs will again make the 60s across most of Minnesota with 50s more common in northeast Minnesota. Cooler by the big lake as usual. Not bad for the last weekend in April.

Forecast high temperatures Sunday
Forecast high temperatures Sunday
NOAA

Popcorn thundershowers Saturday

A few spotty late-day thundershowers will pop up again Saturday. Sunday looks sunny and dry.

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Check out this NOAA HRRR model run for Saturday afternoon. The classic definition of spotty popcorn air mass thundershowers. Weather chaos in motion.

NOAA HRRR model Saturday
NOAA HRRR model Saturday
NOAA via tropical tidbits

Springy next week

Spring has finally taken what looks like a firm grip on the weather maps through next week. Highs push 70 again Monday in the Twin Cities, with plenty of 60s across Minnesota next week.

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

Some models track a few feisty thunderstorms through Minnesota Monday and Tuesday.

Stay tuned.