Chilly Saturday winds; mild breezes for Sunday
Leaf raking will be a challenge today, as strong winds rearrange our leaf piles.
35 mph to 45 mph wind gusts were reported around parts of Minnesota and western Wisconsin Saturday morning, and strong winds will continue into the afternoon. Winds will lighten up a bit by late afternoon and they'll really drop off this evening.
A wind advisory is in effect until 2 p.m. this Saturday for much of south-central and southeastern Minnesota:
Details of the wind advisory:
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URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
413 AM CDT Sat Oct 20 2018
MNZ083>085-092-093-201900-
/O.CON.KMPX.WI.Y.0006.181020T1300Z-181020T1900Z/
Blue Earth-Waseca-Steele-Faribault-Freeborn-
Including the cities of Mankato, Waseca, Owatonna, Blue Earth,
and Albert Lea
413 AM CDT Sat Oct 20 2018
...WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 8 AM THIS MORNING TO 2 PM
CDT THIS AFTERNOON...
* WINDS...Northwest, sustained 30 to 35 mph, with gusts up to 45
mph.
* IMPACTS...Winds this strong can make driving difficult,
especially for high profile vehicles traveling east or west. Use
extra caution.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A Wind Advisory means that wind gusts in excess of 45 mph are
expected. Winds this strong can make driving difficult...
especially for high profile vehicles. Use extra caution.
______________________________________________________________________________
10 a.m. Update:
The NWS has expanded the wind advisory into portions of Wisconsin:
The wind advisory continues until 2 p.m. this Saturday.
____________________________________________________________________________
Updated weather information can be heard on the Minnesota Public Radio Network, and you can see updated weather info on the MPR News live weather blog.
Northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin will have the best chance of Saturday snow showers, but the Twin Cities metro area and west-central Wisconsin could see a passing morning flurry.
Temperature trends
The 1 a.m. temperature at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport was 49 degrees. That will probably go into the books as our Saturday high temp.
The Twin Cities metro area and parts of southern Minnesota will see afternoon temps peak in the lower 40s, with 30s over much of central and northern Minnesota.
Sunday highs rebound nicely, with 40s in the north and lots of 50s elsewhere:
A few spots in the southwest could top 60 degrees.
Monday highs are expected to be in the 50s in central and southern Minnesota, with 40s in the far north:
Twin Cities highs are expected to be in the upper 40s Tuesday, followed by middle 50s Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
Fall colors
If you’re planning some weekend leaf-peeping, you’ll be interested in the latest fall color report from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources:
Keep in mind that all deciduous trees are included in the fall color report, not just maples.
A Wisconsin fall color report is also available.
Programming note
You can hear my live weather updates on Minnesota Public Radio at 7:49 a.m. Thursdays and Fridays, and at 7:35 a.m., 9:35 a.m. and 4:35 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday.