Roller coaster: 70s, chilly rain and snowflakes, then 70s again

The thermometer flashed 81 degrees in Madison in western Minnesota Wednesday afternoon. Minnesota spent another fine spring day riding the northern edge of a mild air mass. Highs in the 70s pushed all the way to the Canadian border.

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Temperatures Wednesday afternoon via Oklahoma Mesonet.

Milder breezes blow through Minnesota more often now. The higher late-April sun angle boosts temperatures quickly. I see more days in the 70s ahead but first, we hit another Minnesota spring weather speed bump.

'Easy does it' in a Minnesota spring.

Cool fronts

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There's always another cool front in Minnesota's forecast. At least 9 months of the year.  This one sweeps through Minnesota with scattered showers overnight into Thursday morning. NOAA's NAM 3 km resolution model picks up on the notion of spotty showers moving along the front from Minnesota into Iowa and Wisconsin overnight into Thursday.

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NOAA NAM 3 km resolution model via tropical tidbits.

Saturday rain, and snow?

All forecast models still drive a peppy low-pressure system through Minnesota Saturday. Most models favor a temperatures profile in the lowest mile of the atmosphere that's cold enough to mix in a few snowflakes in Minnesota Saturday, and produce several hours of accumulating snow in Wisconsin Saturday night.

I still don't think we'll see any accumulating snow in the Twin Cities Saturday. But don't be surprised to see a few snowflakes mixing in Saturday. Parts of southeast Minnesota and Wisconsin could wake up to a slushy white coating Sunday morning.

Here's NOAA's GFS model.

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NOAA GFS model Saturday via tropical tidbits.

This system will likely deliver mostly rain for the Twin Cities but bears watching. Stay tuned.

Cooler, then warmer

Temperatures bottom out Saturday. Highs may not climb out of the 40s in southern Minnesota. Next week starts cool, then temperatures moderate back into the 60s.

Progress.

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NOAA via Weather Bell.

70s again

The longer range maps suggest milder air returns by the weekend of May4 and 5. More consistent 60s and some 70s look likely again.

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NOAA GFS temperatures output via Meteostar.

Spring patters in on baby steps this year.