Instant October today, but mild fall pattern ahead! 80 next week?

It looks like a winter storm on the weather maps, and if temps were 20 degrees colder we'd be talking blizzard today in the Red River Valley.

As it is, it still feels like a shock into our "Instant October."

A potent low pressure system is spinning through Minnesota Tuesday and today.

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Cold air and gusty winds are pouring south with the system. Temps will not recover today from the 50s.This may be the coldest day in Minnesota since May 14th, when the high struggled to 52 in the Twin Cities.

Winds of change:

Those gusty winds did materialize Tuesday, as gusts hit 54 in Canby and 41 in the metro. You may find your empty garbage can in Wisconsin this morning. The complete list here.

...HENNEPIN COUNTY...

FLYING CLOUD ASOS (905 FT)(ASOS) 653 PM SEP 20 41 MPH

CRYSTAL ASOS (869 FT)(ASOS) 853 PM SEP 20 36 MPH

MINNEAPOLIS ASOS (836 FT)(ASOS) 653 PM SEP 20 34 MPH

...YELLOW MEDICINE COUNTY...

1 NNE CANBY (1191 FT)(OTHER-MTR) 315 PM SEP 20 54 MPH

HANLEY FALLS (1068 FT)(MNDOT) 800 PM SEP 20 48 MPH

4 SSW GRANITE FALLS (1046 FT)(OTHER-MTR) 333 PM SEP 20 45 MPH

A good breeze and scattered showers will linger today before the system begins to pull off to the east Thursday.

Milder pattern next week!

Keep those shorts handy, you may still need them this season!

The latest medium range forecast trends and the CPC agree, it could be a mild October in the Upper Midwest this year.

Check out the latest forecasts though the next 14 days from CPC.

According to CPC the mild trend may last through October.

And there are signs the "warmth" could linger into December in parts of the Upper Midwest.

Stay tuned!

PH