Falling temperatures, blowing snow and dangerous travel conditions

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Summerlike warmth is in no hurry to exit Minnesota this October. 

See all that red on the temperature map in the Dakotas Wednesday afternoon? It will ooze eastward into Minnesota once again Friday and Saturday. 

Thursday brings a few more clouds to Minnesota. Highs will be mostly in the 70s once again. But by Friday, I expect more sunshine and a warm southerly breeze to pump afternoon high temperatures up to near 80 degrees in western Minnesota. 

Saturday brings another warm day across the south with highs in the upper 70s to near 80 degrees once again. 

The average high for the Twin Cities Saturday is 61 degrees, so temperatures will be a good 15 to 20 degrees warmer than average for Oct. 9. Next week looks cooler with highs generally in the 60s. 

Rain favors the northern half of Minnesota

A low-pressure system will track closer to northern Minnesota this weekend. That will put the best coverage of scattered rain and thunder across the northern half of Minnesota. 

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Global Forecast System model paints scattered rain and a few thunderstorms favoring the northern half on Minnesota from Friday through Sunday. 

Rainfall totals up north could reach an inch to 2 inches under heavier rain cells. The Twin Cities and southern Minnesota are likely to pick up very little rainfall through the upcoming weekend. 

Weather and Climate News

Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Paul Huttner

Author

Yet another surge of warm air is heading for southern Minnesota. 

Oklahoma Mesonet

NOAA

NOAA via tropical tidbits

European model (ECMWF) precipitation output

Another shot at 80 degrees by Saturday

Go Deeper.

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