Very mild with sunshine Friday and Saturday; snow and rain possible next week

We’ll have lots of sun both Friday and Saturday with very mild temperatures for the end of November. Highs will be in the 40s in southern Minnesota and upper 30s in northern Minnesota. Saturday will be even warmer with highs ranging from the low 50s in southern Minnesota to upper 30s in northwest Minnesota. It’ll be cooler with rain and snow possible next week.

Well above normal Friday and Saturday with sunshine

We have a beautiful couple of days ahead. Friday will see highs in the 40s and 30s across Minnesota with lots of sunshine and light winds from the southwest at 5-10 mph pumping in the mild air. Saturday will be even warmer with highs in the low 50s from the Twin Cities across southern Minnesota. Northern Minnesota too will see highs in the 40s with perhaps upper 30s in northwest Minnesota. We’ll have lots of sun again Saturday statewide.

Those readings are 10 to 15 degrees above normal. The normal high for the 25th of November ranges from 28 in International Falls to 37 in the Twin Cities.

Colder and more active next week?

The pattern becomes potentially more active and cooler heading into next week as we wrap up November and start December. We’re still watching a possible storm system Tuesday into Wednesday that could bring rain to southeast Minnesota initially and snow showers to much of the area into Wednesday.

Beyond the possible precipitation will come more ‘realistic’ temperatures in the 30s and 20s. The models vary on the extent of the colder air late next week.

Next Thursday, Dec. 1, is the start of meteorological winter and the official Climate Prediction Center forecast calls for slightly better odds than not of colder than normal temperatures and equal chances of below or above normal precipitation.