40s and 50s through Tuesday. More snow possible late next week?

By now you've probably seen the seasonal memes.

• Winter

• Fool's Spring

• Second Winter

• Spring of Deception (You are here!)

• Third Winter

• Actual Spring

• Summer

• False Fall

• Second Summer

• Actual Fall

Yes, we may be living in the spring of deception now. We know Minnesota is not out of the woods for accumulating snow well into April lately. The last three years have brought a string of unprecedented heavy snow events.

Unseasonably mild for now

Our daily freeze-thaw cycles continue this week. Icy mornings give way to mild afternoons.

The air mass over Minnesota continues to overperform. Temperatures shot well into the 40s again today across southern Minnesota.

The Twin Cities nudged 48 degrees around 1 p.m. That’s a full 13 degrees warmer than the average of 35 degrees.

High temperatures will continue to run mostly in the 30s north and 40s central and south into the weekend. Temperatures in mostly snow-free southwest Minnesota will continue to push into the lower 50s.

April-like by Sunday

Sunday through Tuesday will feel more April than March. Highs will soar into the 50s across southern Minnesota with temperatures pushing 60-degrees in the west.

Rain likely next Tuesday

The atmosphere looks plenty warm enough for rain with an inbound weather system next Tuesday and Wednesday.

Forecast models suggest much of Minnesota could pick up rainfall totals of a quarter to a half an inch or more by late Wednesday. Here’s the European model output.

Snow chance next Friday and Saturday?

A few forecast models hint at a stronger, colder storm system late next week. It’s still too early for high or even medium confidence, but The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s GFS pains a snow producer somewhere across southern Minnesota by next Friday and Saturday, March 12-13.

Enjoy the mild week ahead. Minnesota’s spring of deception may give way to our next season called “third winter.”