Wednesday brings even warmer weather back

Afternoon temperatures Wednesday climb into the mid 60s to low 70s, returning all of Minnesota back to more typical May warmth.

Wednesday’s forecast

The high pressure that sat over Minnesota Tuesday has shifted east as forecast and is currently sitting over Wisconsin as of Wednesday morning.  This has taken the core of the coldest air with it, so most of Minnesota is starting off 5 to 10 degrees milder than Tuesday, with much of the state in the 30s and 40s, although the Arrowhead is starting the day in the 20s.

Because of this, far fewer places in southern Minnesota are beginning the day with frost.

However, the southeastern corner of the state is under a frost advisory until 8 a.m. as that area is still close enough to the high-pressure center that temperatures dropped into the low 30s under clear skies and calm winds.

On the backside of the high, there is a light wind flow from the south that spreads across Minnesota during the day Wednesday.  This warms the entire state into the 60s, with a couple of 70s possible west. 

That finally puts southern Minnesota, including the Twin Cities, back near more typical May warmth after spending the past week cooler than average.

Fortunately, those winds stay lighter because the dry, sunny, and warmer conditions will cause most of the state to have very low relative humidity (RH) in the afternoon, and in northeastern Minnesota, that RH could drop into the teens. 

This elevates the fire risk, which would be even higher if not for the lighter winds.

By late Thursday more unsettled weather returns and spotty rain is likely through the weekend. 

That extended forecast will be updated around 9 a.m.

Programming note

You can hear my live weather updates on Minnesota Public Radio at 7:49 a.m. Monday through Friday morning.