The coldest air so far this autumn hits next week

A wet storm slowly moves out of Minnesota Thursday, with mild weather continuing through Saturday. Next week turns much colder, with some highs only in the 30s.

Thursday’s forecast

The storm that brought a slow-moving band of soaking rain across Minnesota Wednesday is still making its slow trek eastward Thursday morning.

As of 9 a.m., western Minnesota is now out of the rain, central Minnesota is getting in the lighter/less persistent rain area, and the core of the rain is moving over eastern Minnesota.

The funnel of moisture that had been a direct flow from the Gulf of Mexico is now getting cu off, so the south-to-north precipitation line will diminish as it continues its march east. That means although the rain is not expected to completely clear east of the state until late Thursday, rain activity will get much spottier in the afternoon and evening as the line of rain dwindles.

Additional rainfall in eastern Minnesota is likely to be a quarter-inch or less in most spots. Some locations in central and southern Minnesota have already received over an inch of rain with the storm.

The western edge of Minnesota will start to see a few peaks of sunshine by late Thursday. Otherwise, skies remain mostly cloudy.

Temperatures dropped little again overnight due to all the moisture, so the state started Thursday in the 40s.

Where rain is clearing, most highs will make it into the 50s. In eastern Minnesota (including the Twin Cities), but where rain persists most of the day, temperatures barely warm, with highs stuck in the 40s.

Turning cooler

Clouds clear out Friday, and with the return of sunshine, highs for almost all of Minnesota return into the 50s Friday and Saturday, which is slightly above average.

The mild weather comes to a quick end by Sunday though, as a cold front that moves through on Saturday returns highs to the 40s for the final day of October.

For Halloween evening, temperatures will be in the upper 30s north and low 40s south, under dry skies for all but possibly the northern border.

Even cooler air spreads over the state by Monday, putting highs mostly in the 30s north and 40s south for the rest of next week. In fact, there could even be a day or two midweek where even southern Minnesota does not warm past the 30s.

Here is that forecast for the Twin Cities:

Overnight lows will be predominantly in the 20s, so between the chilly highs and lows, it will be the coldest weather so far this autumn.

Other than a couple isolated showers in northern Minnesota Sunday and Monday, most of the state stays dry through at least midweek. 

Because of the lower temperatures, any precipitation that does make it into Minnesota next week could have a few snow flakes mixed in!

Programming note

You can hear my live weather updates on Minnesota Public Radio at 7:48 a.m. Monday through Friday morning.