Milder Friday with more sunshine; relatively quiet weekend

Temperatures will be several degrees or more warmer for much of Minnesota Friday. We’ll also have more sunshine. The weekend should continue mostly dry weather for most of Minnesota.

Warmer Friday with more sunshine

Look for more sunshine Friday and another day with relatively light winds. Highs will be in the 40s and 30s for most of the state with colder pockets in northwest Minnesota. Friday’s readings will be closer to normal for most of eastern Minnesota.

A big reason areas to the west remain colder is the deep snow pack there with a lack of trees. Northeast Minnesota, while snow covered has more dark colored pine and deciduous forest. The darker color absorbs more strong March sun whereas open areas appear whiter and reflect more sunlight.

Yesterday, with clear skies, was a great visual example of these differences in dark or light surfaces, what we meteorologists call albedo.

Dry through the weekend for most

We’re lucking out with dry weather for a change through the weekend and for the most part into early next week for most of Minnesota.

Don’t get too comfortable, however. The models are painting a larger storm system for the end of next week. Regardless of the precipitation type, it could have an impact on spring flooding.