MPR News Chief Meteorologist Paul Huttner signs off

MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all. 

Turn Up Your Support

This Valentine’s Day could be the warmest on record in the Twin Cities and parts of southern Minnesota. 

Saturday’s record high is 50 degrees set way back in 1882. We have a good shot at reaching at least 50 degrees in the Twin Cities Saturday afternoon.

You can already see the warm bubble of springlike air building southwest of Minnesota on Thursday afternoon.

We hit 44 degrees in the Twin Cities as of this post Thursday. That’s a full 17 degrees warmer than our normal high of 27 degrees for February 12.

Our unseasonably warm Pacific air mass will reach peak intensity Saturday and likely again Monday of next week. Highs on Monday could approach or exceed 60 degrees in southwest Minnesota.

All major forecast models are now pushing a storm system into Minnesota next week. I’m seeing the usual differences in storm track and temperatures profiles that will determine where rain and snow zones will eventually set up.

Here’s a first look at the Canadian model which tracks mostly rain (changing to snow?) in the south with heavier snow potential across central into northern Minnesota. The forecast model loop below runs between 6 a.m. Tuesday and 6 a.m. Wednesday.

The European model is currently colder than the American and Canadian models, and further south with snow potential.

It’s way too early to post anything remotely credible for forecast model output snowfall totals, so I’ll wait until we get closer to the event.

But there’s a growing possibility of rain and or accumulating plowable snow across much of Minnesota next Tuesday and Wednesday. Winter is not done with Minnesota just yet.

As we say in the weather biz, stay tuned.

Weather and Climate News

Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Paul Huttner

Author

An unseasonably mild Pacific air mass blows in through early next week. Record highs possible on Valentine’s Day. Forecast models cranking out a rain and or snow event next week.

Warmest Valentine's Day on record Saturday? Rain and plowable snow likely return next week

Go Deeper.

Like this?

News you can use in your inbox