Wintry mix spreads across Minnesota

MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all. 

Turn Up Your Support

This could be the pattern change we've been waiting for, Minnesota.

You’ve heard meteorologists blathering on last week about our significant warmup this week. And we’re still on track for at least 50s, and possibly 60 degrees from the Twin Cities south in the coming days.

But a closer look at the medium-range jet stream patterns over the next 1 to 2+ weeks seems to show the telltale signs of the annual season spring weather shift. 

I put together this animation of upper air (500-millibar) height anomalies between March 20 and 27. The thing to grasp here is the preponderance of above-average heights (warm colors) over the Upper Midwest as we move through late March. This type of pattern produces warmer than average temperatures across the Upper Midwest. 

NOAA’s six- to 10-day temperature outlook strongly favors warmer than average temperatures in our region. 

And the three to four-week temperatures outlook shows a warm bias. 

The American GFS and European model temperature output Monday cranks out five or six days of 60 degrees for the Twin Cities between now and the end of March. In the next week, we have a shot at 60 degrees in the Twin Cities and southern Minnesota Wednesday, Sunday and Monday.

The storm track across North America shows little rain or snow likely for Minnesota in the next week. 

There’s still deep snow up north, but once the snow is gone in southern Minnesota, temperatures will respond quickly with strong late March sun angle and intensity. 

Another snow event in the next few weeks is always possible. But it looks like the season formerly known as spring is coming fast. And it might be here to stay. 

Weather and Climate News

Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Paul Huttner

Author

The medium-range forecast maps favor warmer-than-average air overall into early April. 

We can't rule out more snow. But the pattern favors more frequent spring like weather the next few weeks.

Is spring here to stay? Medium-range maps showing a mild bias into early April

NOAA

NOAA GFS model upper air forecast animation between March 20 and 27

Is spring here to stay? Medium-range maps showing a mild bias into early April

Go Deeper.

Like this?

News you can use in your inbox