Minnesota finally breaks out of the recent dreary pattern
Areas of light snow and rain again on Wednesday
Precipitation slowly ends Wednesday, and temperatures rise through the end of the week, but overall, the state stays stuck in a cooler trend.
The low pressure that has been causing rain and snow across Minnesota since Monday brought more of its precipitation as snow Tuesday due to lower temperatures. While most places saw snow totals under an inch, including .3 inches for the Twin Cities, there were a couple isolated higher amounts. There were a few reports from 2 to 4 inches between Brainerd and Bemidji, and the highest report came from northwestern Minnesota, where 6 inches were reported in Hallock.
Wednesday’s forecast
That low pressure, which has also kept skies cloudy and cooled temperatures, is finally starting to move farther to the east. As that happens, the precipitation is diminishing.
With most of the state starting Wednesday in the 20s and low 30s, much of the morning precipitation is spotty light snow or flurries.
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As temperatures climb during the day, more of the precipitation switches to very light rain showers.
By the afternoon, the moisture clears western Minnesota, and only a little light rain lingers east. All the precipitation moves out by the evening. No significant rain or snow totals are expected.
Although skies remain mostly cloudy, winds will not be as gusty, and highs nudge a couple degrees higher than Tuesday. Afternoon temperatures in the 30s northwest and 40s for the rest of the state, plus less of a wind chill, should feel noticeably milder, despite still being 10 to 15 degrees below average.
Extended forecast
Dry skies finally return Thursday, but it remains mostly cloudy with a few more breaks of sunshine by the afternoon. Temperatures rise a couple more degrees, putting all of the state in the 40s, with a few 50s south.
A little more sunshine and a few more 50s spread across Minnesota Friday. Temperatures continue to rise slightly over the weekend, with most of the state in the 50s and back near average highs by Sunday.
Here is that forecast through Saturday for the Twin Cities:
The return to seasonable weather is brief though. A cold front is expected to move through Minnesota late Sunday into early Monday, dropping most of the state back into the 40s by Monday and bringing a rain and snow mix across the state again.
Behind that front, below average temperatures are likely to linger most of the week.
Programming note
You can hear my live weather updates on Minnesota Public Radio at 7:49 a.m. Monday through Friday morning.