Instant spring
Mark it down. Spring began on March 16th this year.
The warmest day in over 4 months is like a breath of fresh clean springtime air. The last time we hit 60 was on November 6th. We hit 65 today as of this writing. The record is 71. Average is 40, so were a full 25 degrees above average.
Last year our first 60 occurred on April 4th. We're about 3 weeks ahead of last year's pace.
The weather maps look really mild the next two weeks. A persistent upper low (long wave trough) will anchor just off the Pacific Northwest coast. That puts an upper ridge of high pressure over the Midwest. That pattern brings mild southerly breezes streaming into the Upper Midwest.
Create a More Connected Minnesota
MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.
After a brief mid-week cool down, it appears we'll warm right back up into the 60's this weekend and possibly even see our first 70 by Sunday. That could trigger our first wave of spring thunderstorms by Sunday night.
Our mild pattern looks to persist for the rest of March. We should see temperatures at least 10 degrees above average for the last two weeks of March if the pattern holds.
I will be away for the next few weeks taking care of one last (hopefully) medical procedure. You'll be in the capable hands of my weather partner Craig Edwards until then.
Enjoy the first days of spring!
PH