Warming trend begins, 50s by Sunday
"In the Spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours." -Mark Twain
Searching for spring
How do we best describe early spring in Minnesota? Two steps forward, one step back.
Create a More Connected Minnesota
MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.
Spring (Vernal) Equinox in Minneapolis occurs on
Monday, March 20, 2017 at 5:29 am CDT
Welcome to what looks like a more typical early spring warm up in Minnesota the next 10 days. Thermometers nudge higher today as temperatures crack the thawing point over a good chunk of southern Minnesota. Southerly breezes boost temps into the 40s starting tomorrow. Temperatures peak Sunday and Monday when your local bank thermometers will flash 50s in much of southern Minnesota.
A safe prediction for Minnesota's future weather on the Ides of March? A gradual warming trend, still a chance for snow. My former colleague WCCO TV News legend Dave Moore may have said it best.
Make no big plans in Minnesota in March.
They can certainly appreciate that sentiment in New England these days.
Southerly breezes
Winds over Minnesota turn south the next few days. Milder breezes and a higher March sun angle hasten snow melt the next few days. Dark colored streets are already snow-free. You'll see your lawn again in the next 24 hours. A few fickle sleet to rain showers may sail by.
Gradually warmer
Milder air pulses north and east the next few days. By Sunday afternoon Minnesota rides the northern edge of another warm surge. Temps soar into the 70s and 80s in Nebraska and Kansas, where winter has been a fleeting concept this season.
The numbers below are probably a few degrees too conservative for the Twin Cities Sunday and Monday, when I can easily see highs in the mid-50s on snow-free ground.
The usually trusty European model hints at snowfall potential next Thursday.
Stay tuned.
Binghamton, NY sets all time snowfall record
It's an all-time snowfall record for Binghamton. This is their Halloween Mega Storm.
Meanwhile out west...
Arctic changes continue to astound
Defense Secretary gets climate change as a "threat multiplier"
Yes, scientists need to be better communicators