Cooler Friday with lingering cloud cover. Weekend warmup ahead

Friday begins with lingering cloud cover and cooler temperatures. Skies will gradually clear from west to east, but highs will struggle to rebound, remaining in the upper 40s to low 50s.

A much warmer and sunnier pattern is on the horizon with highs climbing into the 70s over the weekend.

Cloudy and cool Friday

As Thursday’s system slowly moves out of Wisconsin, lingering cloud cover will persist through much of Friday for Minnesota.

Northeastern Minnesota can expect occasional rain showers with periods of snow mixing in at times through the midday hours Friday.

Because of the lingering cloud cover and scattered precipitation, temperatures across eastern and southeastern Minnesota will hold steady, reaching only the upper 40s to low 50s.

Western Minnesota, where more sunshine is expected, will see warmer conditions with highs in the mid to upper 50s. Winds will remain light out of the north at 5 to 10 mph.

High pressure will build in late Friday night, bringing gradually clearing skies and light winds. Some fog is possible as temperatures drop into the chilly 30s. The combination of cool temperatures and calm conditions could also lead to areas of frost.

Long stretch of nice weather

May is shaping up to be one of the nicest months in a long time. Our weather pattern will develop into a quiet and calm stretch, with light winds, clear skies and gradually warming temperatures in the days ahead.

Saturday's highs will be seasonable with much of the region reaching the mid-60s. Warmer temperatures are expected in western Minnesota, where highs will climb into the mid to upper 60s, and parts of northwestern Minnesota could even reach the low to mid-70s.

Warmer temperatures are on the way for Sunday, with highs in the 70s across most areas. Some spots in the Red River Valley could even hit the low 80s.