Milder weekend, coldest air since February next week

Happy Meteorological winter Minnesota!

Shades of gray

It can feel like we're living in a car wash this time of year. Perpetually gray skies. Misty drizzle and snow flurries. I never know there were so many different shades of gray. Ralph Lauren could develop an entire muted color palette based on November in Minnesota. Lake Superior Gray anyone?

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Wikipedia Commons

Look for peeks of sun Friday and more sun Saturday. In theory.

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2nd warmest November on record

November overachieved on thermometers across Minnesota. Temps 10 degrees above average in the Twin Cities? Welcome to Tulsa.

How far out of whack was this November? Here's a longer look at the Twin Cities November temperature record via the Twin Cities NWS.

Minnesota: 2nd warmest year on record

It's not your imagination. It really has been warm this year. Dr. Mark Seeley elaborates on the numbers that show Minnesota has recorded the 2nd warmest year on record through November. Here'e an exclusive preview for Updraft readers from Mark's Friday Weather Talk post.

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Topic: November climate summary

Following the year-long trend in Minnesota November brought warmer than normal temperatures.  Mean monthly values ranged from 10-12 degrees F above normal most places.

Extremes for the month were 78°F at Mora (Kanabec County) on the 5th (which tied the state record high for the date set back in 1975 at Madison), to as cold as -1°F at Seagull Lake (Cook County) on the 21st.  For many climate stations 27 of the 30 days of the month were warmer than normal.  International Falls, Park Rapids, Gunflint Lake, Tower, Ada, Cloquet, Redwood Falls, and La Crescent were among the stations reporting the warmest November in their climate history.

On a statewide basis it was the 2nd warmest November in history, only surpassed by that of 2001. Across the observation network in Minnesota 156 daily high maximum temperature records were set or tied, while 58 record warm minimum temperature records were set or tied.  For the autumn season (September through

November) it was the warmest in state history dating back to 1895.  On a statewide basis the mean temperature for the 3-month period was about 6 degrees F above normal.  For the first 11 months of 2016, it has been the 2nd warmest in state history, surpassed only by 2012.

You can hear Mark's chat on Morning Edition on MPR News stations in the 6 am hour Fridays.

Milder weekend

Temps moderate again this weekend. Highs should push 40 once again in the Twin Cities Sunday and Monday. No major storms in sight yet.

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Southern storm track next week?

Remember how I touted the accuracy of the forecast models a couple weeks ago with our blizzard and first snows of the season? I should have known that wouldn't last.

Forecast models have been all over the map on a potential snow event for the Upper Midwest next week. The latest version suggest the storm will track well south of Chicago, mostly missing the Twin Cities.

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tropicaltidbits.com

This may change again. Stay tuned.

Season's coldest air so far next week

One thing the models do agree on? It's going to feel like December next week. Watch as temperatures plunge from the 40s Monday afternoon, to the teens and single digits by next Thursday. Sub-zero air lurks in North Dakota.

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tropicaltidbits.com

Lakes may finally start to ice up around Minnesota by late next week.