Freeze ends growing season for many, but 34 at MSP

It was a frosty start as advertised this morning at the Huttner Weather Lab.

Temperatures reached 32-degrees or colder over most of Minnesota overnight. The 2017 growing season ended basically everywhere north and west of the Twin Cities' inner urban metro core. Minnesota rode the leading edge of a frigid air mass from the Rockies all the way south to west Texas.

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Oklahoma Mesonet

Milder days ahead

This will be the coldest morning this week across Minnesota. We return to a milder southerly flow as the week progresses. The next chance for (light) showers arrives Friday. Here's NOAA's GFS.

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NOAA via tropical tidbits.

A shot at 70?

Most of Minnesota hovers in the 50s this afternoon. Most of this week features highs in the 60s. I think the numbers below could be conservative on Thursday, the Twin Cities has a real shot at 70 degrees Thursday afternoon.

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NOAA forecast temps for MSP Airport via Weather Bell.

Unsettled weekend

The models continue to come up unsettled for the weekend. Low pressure tracking south of Minnesota focuses the heaviest rains across Iowa and southern Wisconsin. Lighter showers across Minnesota may race east and allow for sunshine Sunday afternoon.

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Canadian GEM model via tropical tidbits.

Mild weather returns next week?

The longer range upper air trends suggest milder weather may return next week. The jet stream may meander back into Canada at least temporarily.

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NOAA

NOAA's 16-day GFS guidance suggests more days in the 60s next week, and a low probability of temps reaching 32 degrees at MSP Airport.

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NOAA GFS via Meteostar

We'll see. Upper air patterns can change rapidly in October. I wouldn't categorically rule out another frosty morning in the next two weeks.

Stay tuned.