Weekend rain or mix; updated November outlook
We'll have plenty of sunshine as we go through Thursday.
This is a nice start to November, which is typically our cloudiest month of the year in the Twin Cities metro area.
There'll be a lot of clouds on Friday and this weekend, so savor today's sunshine.
Temperature trends
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Thursday afternoon highs will range from the upper 30s in far northern Minnesota to the lower 50s in southern Minnesota. Many spots in the Twin Cities metro area are expected to reach 50 degrees or slightly above 50.
Our average high this time of year is 50 degrees in the Twin Cities metro area.
On Friday, most of Minnesota will top out in the 40s:
Some spots in the far north will only reach the 30s.
Similar highs are on tap for Saturday:
And high temperatures don't change much on Sunday:
Twin Cities metro area highs are projected to remain in the 40s on Monday and Tuesday of next week.
Rain and snow potential
Minnesota will have a chance or showers overnight Thursday night and also on Friday. Snowflakes could be mixed with the rain in parts of northern and central Minnesota.
Periods of rain are likely in about the southern Minnesota half of Minnesota Friday night through Saturday and into early Sunday, while the north could see a rain/snow mix.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's North American Mesoscale forecast model shows the potential precipitation pattern Friday evening through Sunday morning:
The color chart to the right of the loop refers to the strength of the signal that returns to the radar, not to the amount of rain or snow.
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.
November outlook
October was 3.1 degrees cooler than normal in the Twin Cities metro area, and the month was almost one inch (.97 inch) wetter than normal. October was our first cooler than normal month in the Twin Cities since April.
Let's look at November!
The updated November temperature outlook from the Climate Prediction Center of the National Weather Service shows equal chances of a warm, cold or near-normal November in the Twin Cities and most of Minnesota:
The outlook shows a slight tendency for a cooler than normal November in far southern Minnesota, including Worthington, Albert Lea and Rochester.
The November precipitation outlook shows a tendency for wetter than normal conditions across Minnesota:
Drought free
Most of Minnesota has plenty of soil moisture right now.
The latest report from U.S. Drought Monitor shows abnormally dry conditions, but not drought, in part of far northwestern Minnesota:
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.