Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Weather whiplash: Wild temperature swings ahead

A series of extremely different air masses will sweep across Minnesota in the next 10 days.

NOAA 8 to 14-day temperature outlook
Eight to 14-day temperature outlook
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Get ready for a ride on Minnesota's famed weather roller coaster.

A series of contrasting air masses will sweep rapidly across Minnesota over the next 10 days. The first rapid change hit Minnesota Tuesday. Our wintry morning mess gave way to sunshine and a flash thaw Tuesday afternoon in southern Minnesota and the Twin Cities.

Temperatures at MSP Airport
Temperatures Tuesday at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport
NOAA

Now we feel the gusty northwest winds of another wintry air mass that will plunge temperatures into the minus 10s in northwestern Minnesota by Wednesday morning. We’ll bottom out around 10 degrees in the south.

Forecast low temperatures Wednesday
Forecast low temperatures Wednesday morning
NOAA

Wednesday brings another wintry day under sunshine.

Forecast high temperatures Wednesday
Forecast high temperatures Wednesday
NOAA

Next thaw Thursday and Friday

By Thursday, winds turn into the south once again. Milder, springlike air has been building across the central Plains. Temperatures will pump up into the 40s again in southern Minnesota Thursday afternoon.

Forecast high temperatures Thursday
Forecast high temperatures Thursday
NOAA

By Friday, 40s will be widespread, and 50s return south of the Twin Cities.

Forecast high temperatures Friday
Forecast high temperatures Friday
NOAA

You can guess the next change. A frigid air mass pours south from Canada once again this weekend into early next week.

But another, bigger thaw looks possible by later next week.

The Canadian model suggests possible rain in the south with possible snow further north late next week. So we could get a state tournament rain or snow storm in the first week of March this year.

Stay tuned.