A bright Easter morning before a few rain, snow showers hop through

Sunshine kicks off the Easter holiday, but don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Clouds, cooler air and a few light showers are hopping in.

Bright start to Easter

A break arrives across the state for Easter Sunday after the latest winter storm dropped heavy snow across northwestern Minnesota. Communities like Fertile, Bemidji, Audubon, Ebro and Tenstrike picked up around a foot of fresh snow, with some two-day totals from back-to-back systems climbing to nearly a foot and a half.

Sunshine and light winds are expected Sunday, with highs warming into the upper 30s to low 40s in the north, upper 40s to low 50s in the south and even mid-50s across southwestern Minnesota.

Patchy clouds are expected into the afternoon as a brief clipper system brings a chance for light precipitation. Light snow showers may drift across northern areas, with isolated rain showers popping up farther south. Totals will remain generally light, so don’t worry about a soggy egg hunt.

After sunset, the weather takes a sharp turn. Skies will clear, and northwesterly winds will draw in colder air, sending overnight lows below freezing. Expect mid to upper teens in central and northern Minnesota, especially in areas with fresh snow, and upper 20s farther south.

Monday will look bright and sunny, but don’t be fooled: it will feel more like winter than spring. Brisk northwest winds and cold air aloft will keep highs stuck in the 30s, despite the strengthening April sunshine.

Tuesday morning will likely be the coldest of the week and possibly the last freeze until fall. Lows dip into the single digits up north with mid to upper teens in the south. After that, though, we finally turn a corner.