Cooler Friday; mild weekend; cold by Thanksgiving Day

The record warmth that blew in from the south on Thursday is long gone, pushed off to the southeast by an impressive cold front. Friday through Sunday will be cooler but quiet before rain arrives on Monday.

Here’s a quick look at the upcoming weather for the greater Twin Cities area:

Twin Cities area weather forecast
Twin Cities National Weather Service office

Cool, placid Friday

The blustery winds of Thursday are gone. Friday morning has been frosty statewide. Afternoon high temperatures will be much closer to average for the second half of November.

Most of Minnesota will have high temperatures in the 40s. Northeastern Minnesota should linger in the upper 30s. The Twin Cities will have a high near 45. Morning high clouds should give way to more sunshine for the afternoon. Winds will be light from the west becoming southwest.

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Pleasant weekend

The weekend will be mild for this time of year. The only good chance of precipitation could be a little rain reaching the southwestern corner of the state late on Sunday.

Forecast weather map for Sunday
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admininstration Weather Prediction Center

Windblown leaves can be raked or mulched (again). Sunshine, light winds and warmer-than-normal temperatures are on tap. High temperatures will be in the 40s for most of the northern half of Minnesota for both Saturday and Sunday.

As is often the case, northeastern Minnesota is likely to be a bit cooler with highs in the upper 30s. The southern half of the state should enjoy low and mid 50s.

The Twin Cities area will probably see high temperatures in the low 50s with sunshine and continued light winds both days.

Rain and maybe a little snow

The weather system on the above map will spread rain farther northeast across just about all of Minnesota Sunday night and Monday. Mild air should keep most of the precipitation as liquid, but some of the rain could change over to a little wet snow Monday night into Tuesday morning, mainly in northeastern Minnesota, before it ends.

Turning much colder

Much colder Canadian air will come our way next week and then hang around. Tuesday will be on the cool side, but not that much chillier than average.

The colder part of that air will build into Minnesota on Wednesday and for Thursday, Thanksgiving Day. An early forecast for Thanksgiving Day is for high temperatures to be only in the 20s for most of Minnesota.

Folks in northeastern Minnesota such as Ely, Hibbing, Grand Rapids and International Falls might have thermometers reading just in the teens as they sit down for a festive holiday dinner.