Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Slow-motion spring: Cool but sunny most of this week

Temperatures running about 5 degrees cooler than average this week

Weather Lab tulips
Weather Lab tulips
Paul Huttner/MPR News

I’m thinking about calling this the “Tulip Spring” of 2021.

Our slow-motion warmup this spring is perfect for spring flowers that like it cool and not too hot. Outside of Saturday’s 80- to 90-degree warmth across southern Minnesota, the last few weeks have been pleasantly cool.

Monday brought another cool spring day to most of Minnesota. Notice the heat is held at bay well south of the Upper Midwest on Monday afternoon’s temperature map.

Temperatures Monday afternoon
Temperatures Monday afternoon
Oklahoma Mesonet

Tuesday brings plenty of sunshine to Minnesota. Frost is part of a chilly morning across most of western through northern Minnesota. The Twin Cities bottoms out in the low 40s Tuesday morning.

Forecast minimum temps Tuesday morning
Forecast minimum temps Tuesday morning
NOAA

Our cool air mass yields highs mostly in the 50s Tuesday afternoon.

Forecast high temperatures Tuesday
Forecast high temperatures Tuesday
NOAA

Wednesday brings a chance or showers to southern Minnesota. NOAA’s GFS model paints the precip zones.

NOAA GFS model Wednesday
NOAA GFS model Wednesday
NOAA via tropical tidbits

Thursday and Friday bring more cool high pressure. That means lots of sunshine and pleasantly cool temperatures.

Forecast high temperatures Thursday
Forecast high temperatures Thursday
NOAA

The early peek at the weekend looks cool. There are signs of highs in the upper 60s and possibly 70 degrees again by next Tuesday or Wednesday.

The Weather Lab tulips are happy.