A few degrees milder on Friday, showers exit into Wisconsin on Saturday
The thick snow cover in the Red River Valley was keeping temperatures in the middle to upper 30s this afteroon. Meanwhile, the mercury has broken 50 F in southwest Minnesota.
Temperatures at 4 p.m. CDT.
Source: Intellicast.com
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The NOAA GOES displays the snow cover in eastern North Dakota through Minnesota and into Wisconsin. The forested area of northeast Minnesota and northern Wisconsin masks the foot and a half of snow depth.
A few light showers were falling from the clouds between Yankton, S.D. and Sioux City, Iowa.
Temperatures are expected to fall to seasonal lows by daybreak, as the nearly calm air radiates heat back into the atmosphere.
The thermometer got quite a workout at Crane Lake in the past twenty-fours. The high temperature yesterday was 46 F The mercury bottomed-out at 3 F this morning.
Our source of air is coming from a west northwest direction at mid levels. Winds have already turned to south in western Minnesota at the surface, allowing temperatures to climb to 54 degrees at Pipestone at 4 p.m. CDT
Jet stream this afternoon from the NAM indicating the overhead winds at about 25 thousand feet.
Source: NOAA NAM/College of Dupage
A weak short wave in the jet stream passes through the eastern Dakotas and into Wisconsin on Friday and Saturday. Showers are likely to form with this weather-maker. Some of the moisture could fall as freezing rain from Duluth north on Friday night.
The NAM has added some momentum to this system and could help accelerate much of the precipitation out of eastern Minnesota early Saturday afternoon.
NAM precipitation in liquid for the six-hour period ending at 1 p.m. CDT on Thursday.
Precipitation in liquid from NAM on Saturday morning.
Source:NOA/College of Dupage
If we get breaks in the clouds on Saturday afternoon the temperature has a good chance of reaching 50 in southern Minnesota.
On Sunday the jet stream steers much cooler air into the upper Midwest. Note the two separate cores of 100 knot winds, suggesting a re-enforcing shot of cold air on Monday.
250mb winds valid on Sunday at 7 p.m. CDT
Source:NOAA/College of Dupage
High temperatures on Easter Sunday will likely occur around noon and will be some 10 to 15 degrees below normal. Expect northwest winds to gust over 25 mph during the afternoon.
When Paul returns hopefully he can promise a moderation that will last as we move through April,
Craig Edwards