Frosty nights ahead, aurora watch

Our premature,  unseasonably cool Canadian air mass sets the stage for some frosty nights in parts of Minnesota as we head toward the weekend.  Friday morning's frosty focus centers on northwest Minnesota and North Dakota.

The Red River Valley is ground zero for frost advisories.

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Here's the bigger picture.

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NOAA

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URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN

252 PM CDT THU SEP 11 2014

...FROST ADVISORY FOR MOST OF NORTHERN MINNESOTA AGAIN TONIGHT...

A CHILLY AIRMASS FOR EARLY SEPTEMBER WILL REMAIN ENTRENCHED ACROSS THE REGION TONIGHT AND FRIDAY. GRADUALLY CLEARING SKIES AND LIGHT WINDS TONIGHT WILL RESULT IN WIDESPREAD FROST ONCE AGAINST

TONIGHT IN MANY AREAS ACROSS THE NORTHERN THIRD OF MINNESOTA.

Check out the chilly October-like morning lows Friday.

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NOAA

Our October preview is brought to you courtesy of Canada. Check out the sprawling high pressure cell setting up shop over the Midwest.

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NOAA

Needless to say, the chilly high dominates our weather pattern into the weekend, even as a gradual warming trend kicks in.

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Weatherspark

Solar storm: Aurora watch

As skies partially clear at night, keep an eye out for possible auroras the next two night. Details from spaceweather.com.

STORM WARNING (UPDATED): Among space weather forecasters, confidence is building that Earth's magnetic field will receive a double-blow from a pair of CMEs on Sept. 12th. The two storm clouds were propelled in our direction by explosions in the magnetic canopy of sunspot AR2158 on Sept. 9th and 10th, respectively. Strong geomagnetic storms are possible on Sept. 12th and 13th as a result of the consecutive impacts. Sky watchers, even those at mid-latitudes, should be alert for auroras in the nights ahead.