Breezy Thursday, briefly cooler Friday before warming dramatically

Updated 9 a.m.

Winds will increase Thursday in the wake of a cool front. Northwest winds will blow at 10-20 mph by afternoon. Friday will be briefly colder before warming right back up this weekend.

Warm records

Wednesday’s high temperatures topped out in the 50s for many portions of central and southern Minnesota.

The Twin Cities officially hit 50 degrees for our sixth time this month. That ties with 2017 for the most ever recorded in February, and we have at least one more guaranteed by Monday with the possibility of getting close to it this weekend and Tuesday.

This February is also on track to be the warmest recorded by far, beating the previous No. 1 spot of 1998 (also a strong El Niño year) by more than 2 degrees. The typical margin between the top spots is just about two-tenths of a degree.

Breezy Thursday then briefly cooler Friday 

We’ll still have a mild day Thursday with highs well into the 40s across southern Minnesota but cooler air will already be moving in from the northwest.

Winds will increase from the northwest becoming blustery by afternoon at 10-20 mph.

Thursday night will bring colder temperatures to mainly northern Minnesota while southern Minnesota will still be above normal.

Friday will bring one day of near-normal temperatures in the 30s south to just upper teens in the far north.

Temperatures warm up quickly again this weekend back well into the 40s with some 50s in southwestern Minnesota. We’ll continue the pattern of a fair amount of sunshine and dry weather.

Monday will be even warmer with highs well into the 50s and even some 60s in southern Minnesota. We then cool off by midweek next week.