Slow motion spring continues; peeks of sun ahead

You may want to find those long lost sunglasses in the next 24 hours.

Our fifth cloudy day in a row gives way to a few sunny peeks across parts on Minnesota this afternoon. Tuesday features abundant sunshine and milder temps. At least in theory.

You know meteorologists are desperate for sun when we pull out the "low cloud fraction" maps. Our chances for sun increase by the hour this afternoon, and tomorrow.

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Low level cloud cover forecast Monday and Tuesday from NOAA GFS model via tropical tidbits.

Tuesday's sunshine should be enough to boost temperatures into the 50s across much of Minnesota. This looks more like spring.

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NOAA

Small step forward this week

Overall temps in the 50s will run about 5 to 10 degrees warmer than average this week. A few bank thermometers make a push toward the 60-degree mark Tuesday and next weekend.

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NOAA NDFD temps via Weather Bell

Rain stays south

It looks like any significant rain will steer south of most of Minnesota this week. Another southern low-pressure system soaks Iowa. A few renegade showers may clip southern Minnesota Wednesday into Thursday.

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NOAA GFS via tropical tidbits

Milder and relatively dry next two weeks?

Keep in mind average high and low temps for MSP this week are 48 and 29 degrees. With that baseline, you can see than highs in the 50s this week are 5 to 10 degrees warmer than average to close March. The first week of April looks even warmer. The jet stream still shows signs of a full-blown retreat into Canada the first week of April.

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NOAA

NOAA's medium-range forecast guidance has been flopping around a bit on the eventual magnitude of the warm up, but the trends are consistent. A few days well into the 60s the first week of April? That will feel great. The models also trend mostly dry for the next two weeks.

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NOAA via IPS Meteostar

NOAA's Climate Prediction Center agrees with the notion of warmer than average temps as we move into April.

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NOAA

The "green wave" has already hit Kansas City, Mo., and it's moving north early this year.

A good year to get out west and enjoy the receding Rocky Mountain glaciers while you can?