Mild week ahead across Minnesota
Only light snow expected, with some areas mild enough to see rain as well
A system moving across Minnesota Monday brings areas of precipitation, mild temperatures and breezier winds by the afternoon.
Monday forecast
Minnesota started Monday off very mild for the end of November, under the influence of the warm front side of a storm moving across the state.
The warmer air with the front has temperatures in the 20s and 30s Monday morning and moved a light mix of precipitation across much of the state overnight.
As of 9 a.m., there was still some very light precipitation along the eastern edge of Minnesota, especially in the Arrowhead, where the precipitation in snow, and a few flurries in northern Minnesota in general.
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The Arrowhead is the one place the snow lingers into the afternoon, and that will lead to 1 to 2 inches of accumulation for parts of the region.
The rest of the state sees decreasing clouds and mild temperatures thanks to the warm flow, with highs ranging from 30s north to 50s southwest.
However, the cold front side of the storm does moves across the state during Monday, and as winds shift to the northwest it will become breezier. Southwestern Minnesota in particular can expect gusts over 20 mph.
Extended forecast
Behind Monday’s cold front, temperatures trend a couple of degrees cooler across most of Minnesota Tuesday versus Monday, but highs will still be above average, in the 30s north and 40s south.
Precipitation in the week ahead stays limited, but the warm front side of a new storm system brings another light round of precipitation through the state from Tuesday night to Wednesday morning.
Most places can expect under an inch of snow. In central and southern Minnesota, including the Twin Cities, it will be warm enough some light rain is likely to mix in early Wednesday.
That same warm front makes for a very mild day again on Wednesday. In fact, for much of the state it is forecast to be the warmest day of the week. Highs will range from the mid-30s north to widespread 50s south. The cooler side of that storm drops highs slightly Thursday again and even more Friday.
By the weekend, the state returns to seasonable cold for early December, with highs in the 20s north and 30s south.
Here is that high temperature trend for the Twin Cities:
For comparison, the “normal” high on Nov. 29 is 35 degrees.
Programming note
You can hear my live weather updates on Minnesota Public Radio at 7:49 a.m. Monday through Friday morning.