Warmest day of 2018 so far, but March chill returns

It's going to be a long March this year. Like well into April.

First the milder news. Today should be the warmest day of the year so far in the Twin Cities and parts of southern Minnesota. The Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport topped out at 50 degrees on St. Patty's Day. Temperatures should have no problem pushing into the low 50s this afternoon from the Twin Cities south and east. They'll be golfing in Omaha today.

Bottom drops out

Extended cold this time of year brings sharp glances and Twitter comments to your local meteorologist. Please remember I'm just a humble weather messenger. I wonder if financial managers get blamed when the Dow tanks?

Two cold fronts push temperatures lower as we head into the weekend. It's going to feel more like February this weekend. Easter Sunday will start in the teens.

Friday snow?

Forecast models are still in flux on two separate snow chances Friday. The European model suggests some light rain and flurries. The American and Canadian models insist on a coating to a few inches of snow Friday night.

At this point I'm leaning toward a blend of those two solutions. A few flurries and or light rain showers Friday, then a coating to a couple inches Friday night. We may wake up to another white Saturday morning.

Here's NOAA's GFS model.

Cold lingers into April

The overall upper air pattern is stuck. A cold upper low over Hudson Bay will deal Minnesota more cold into the first week  to 10 days of April.

There are some signs the upper air pattern may budge and allow a warmup after that.

Stay tuned. The upper air pattern could shift rapidly this time of year. And temperatures only have one way to go. Up.

20 years since Comfrey, St. Peter tornadoes 

Twenty years ago Thursday, one of the earliest tornado outbreaks in Minnesota history plowed through southern Minnesota.

Here's a great recap from the Twin Cities NWS.