Warm and sunny weather prevails through the weekend
High winds bring a fire concern Tuesday
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Although temperatures dip slightly midweek, highs remain above average through the start of next week, while rain chances stay slim.
Tuesday’s forecast
The state started off seasonable, ranging from morning lows the upper 30s north to the low 50s south Tuesday morning.
Gusty winds out of the west and southwest bring high temperatures back above average again, with 60s north, 70s for central and most of southern Minnesota, and a few 80s possible southwest.
However, the combination of warm weather, winds that will gust 30 to 40 mph, and recent dry conditions are causing an elevated fire risk for portions of southern and western Minnesota.
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The high winds are being caused in part by a cold front that starts moving into northern Minnesota by afternoon and clears south through the entire state by late Tuesday.
That front brings spotty rain chances and a few more clouds across northern Minnesota Tuesday, while the rest of the state sees more sunshine.
Warm weather prevails
Behind Tuesday’s cold front, highs drop back into the 50s and 60s Wednesday and Thursday, although southwestern Minnesota could see a couple 70s return by Thursday.
This still keeps the state at and above average for early October. By Thursday, the colder northwest winds behind to cold front start shifting back to the south.
Under southerly winds and plentiful sunshine, most of the state warms back into the 70s by Friday, with parts of southern Minnesota in the 80s. That is 15 to 20 degrees above average.
Here is the forecast through Friday for the Twin Cities showing that rebound:
The mild weather should continue through early next week, before temperatures return to more typical October temperatures.
For perspective, the average October 6th high in the Twin Cities is 63, and in northern Minnesota, the average for International Falls is 56.
Limited rain chances
Along with the mild weather, dry skies and sunshine also prevail through the weekend.
The early part of next week is likely to become more active, with a storm bringing gusty winds and rain Monday into Tuesday.
Because of recent dry conditions, any rain would be very beneficial.
Programming note
You can hear my live weather updates on Minnesota Public Radio at 7:48 a.m. Monday through Friday morning.
