Wintry mix spreads across Minnesota

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We’re thinking spring now! Our Thursday sunshine was great, and it was accompanied by highs in the 50s. 

Our Friday high temp was 56 degrees at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. We hadn’t seen a high in the 50s since April 12. Our first 70s of 2022 are expected on Saturday.

Friday highs will range from the 40s in far northern Minnesota to 60s in southwestern Minnesota…with a lot of 50s in-between:

Saturday highs reach the 70s in much of central and southern Minnesota plus western Wisconsin: 

We’ll probably top out in the mid 70s in the Twin Cities on Saturday, which is well above our average April 23 high of 60 degrees. 

Sunday highs will be much cooler, with 40s in the north and west, and 50s from the Twin Cities metro area into southeastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin:

Our Twin Cities highs in the lower 50s on Sunday will be followed by lower 40s on Monday, then upper 40s Tuesday and mid 50s on Wednesday.

Northwestern Minnesota could see a rain/snow mix late Thursday night into Friday morning. 

Periods of rain showers are possible for much Minnesota and western Wisconsin Friday and Friday evening, with a few embedded thunderstorms at times.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s High-Resolution Rapid-Refresh (HRRR) forecast model shows the potential precipitation pattern from 6 a.m. Friday to 6 p.m. Friday:

Keep in mind that computer models cannot be expected to forecast individual thunderstorms. Thunderstorm coverage will depend on the destabilization that occurs in any given area.

Minnesota and western Wisconsin will also have scattered showers and thunderstorms at times on Saturday and Saturday night.

The NWS Storm Prediction Center shows a slight risk of severe weather Friday and Friday night in southwestern Minnesota, with a marginal risk of severe weather elsewhere in Minnesota and western Wisconsin:

Slight risk means that scattered severe thunderstorms are possible, while marginal risk means that an isolated severe thunderstorm is possible:

The NWS Storm Prediction Center shows a slight risk of severe weather Saturday and Saturday night (shaded yellow) for much of Minnesota and a portion of west-central Wisconsin:

Check forecast updates Friday and Saturday.

Much of northern Minnesota still has snow on the ground. Here’s the weekly snow depth map from the Minnesota State Climatology Office:

The areas shaded light-purple in Cook County and eastern Lake County of northeastern Minnesota have snow depths of at least 24 inches!

You can hear my live weather updates on MPR News at 7:35 a.m., 9:35 a.m. and 4:39 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday.

Weather and Climate News

Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Ron Trenda

Author

We’re expecting 50s again on Friday, and we’ll also have shower and thunderstorm chances. Saturday will be the warmest day of the weekend, with thunderstorm chances continuing.

Scattered showers and t-storms at times on Friday and Saturday

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