Much Cooler Friday Under Sunny Skies - 20s For Thanksgiving?

There was very little change in the drought update which was issued on Thursday from the National Drought Mitigation Center. While most categories stayed steady, the amount of Minnesota under at least Abnormally Dry conditions decreased by a tenth of a percent. We continue to track D3 (Extreme) Drought across far southeastern Minnesota.

_______________________________________________

Wednesday marked the second day this month with a high of at least 60F in the metro, reaching 61F for the day, with 50s across much of central and northern Minnesota. Over the past 30 years, we averaged three days with a high of at least 60F during the month of November in the metro.

_______________________________________________

Well, Thursday was the end of the 60s (possibly until spring). We'll be much cooler Friday behind the system that moved through the region, with highs only reaching the low 40s in the metro. This'll be after morning temperatures start off in the upper 20s. Some passing clouds will occur at times (especially in the morning hours), otherwise, mainly sunny skies are expected.

A mostly sunny day is expected across the state with some passing clouds at times. Temperatures range from the 30s in northern Minnesota to near 50F out in the western Minnesota River Valley.

_______________________________________________

Saturday: A very quiet Saturday is expected across the region - including for the deer firearm opener over in Wisconsin. Highs climb to the low 50s in the metro under mainly sunny skies.

Sunday: Almost an exact repeat of Sunday, but we will start to see some clouds moving in across southern and central Minnesota during the afternoon hours. Highs once again reach the low 50s.

Monday: This will be the start of the next temperature downturn, with highs only reaching the mid-40s under mainly cloudy skies. Some showers could be possible in western Minnesota during the afternoon hours, not likely reaching the metro until the overnight hours.

_______________________________________________

Behind that early system next week, we will see a dramatic cooldown with highs for the second half of next week feeling more like winter than fall. Highs will only reach the 30s Tuesday, then be stuck in the 20s for the big travel day Wednesday, Thanksgiving Thursday, and Black Friday. Some flurries or light snow could be possible across northern Minnesota next Wednesday and Thursday, but it currently looks dry in the metro.

An early look at Thanksgiving Day Thursday for the metro shows quiet weather in place, but chilly conditions for any outdoor pick-up games of football. Temperatures will be in the 20s for most of the daytime hours, with highs in the mid to upper 20s. With stronger westerly winds, it'll feel like the teens for most of the day. I think we'll see more of a sun/cloud mix to mainly cloudy skies for the day at the moment.

_______________________________________________

Media Conundrum: Weather Accuracy Isn't Enough
By Paul Douglas

At the risk of an impertinent question, are you popular? You know, YouTuber - social media influencer - boy band popular? It's a strange state of affairs waking up every morning and wondering what you can say that will make people like you.

A television meteorologist is expected to know their science, communicate well, but strive to be likeable. Because viewers vote with their TV remotes every evening. Accuracy matters, but Q-scores (popularity indexes) might matter even more. Communicating the science of climate change for 30 years has been a wild ride, but more people than ever realize something is happening. Life is not a popularity context and some things are more important than ratings, clicks and "likes".

So THIS is what November feels like! Fresh air. Expect 40s and less wind today, with low 50s Saturday and Sunday under a topaz-blue sky. A (rain) shower Monday night heralds the arrival of a much-colder-front, with 20s and low 30s in time for Thanksgiving. No snowstorms in sight but December is coming.

_______________________________________________

Paul's Extended Twin Cities Forecast

FRIDAY: Cool sunshine. Wake up 31. High 44. Chance of precipitation 0%. Wind SW 10-15 mph.

SATURDAY: Sunny and pleasant. Wake up 34. High 53. Chance of precipitation 0%. Wind W 10-15 mph.

SUNDAY: Plenty of sunshine. Soak it up. Wake up 33. High 51. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind SE 7-12 mph.

MONDAY: Clouds increase, nighttime shower. Wake up 38. High 48. Chance of precipitation 60%. Wind S 7-12 mph.

TUESDAY: Damp start, then clearing, colder. Wake up 33. High 38. Chance of precipitation 30%. Wind NW 15-35 mph.

WEDNESDAY: Cold wind. Feels like teens. Wake up 21. High 26. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind NW 15-30 mph.

THURSDAY: Cold turkey. Hot gravy. Wake up 19. High 28. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind NW 15-25 mph.

_______________________________________________

Minneapolis Weather Almanac And Sun Data
November 17th

*Length Of Day: 9 hours, 29 minutes, and 14 seconds
*Daylight LOST Since Yesterday: 2 minutes and 17 seconds

*When Do We Drop Below 9 Hours Of Sunlight? December 3rd (8 hours, 59 minutes, 24 seconds)
*When Is Sunrise At/After 7:30 AM? December 1st (7:30 AM)
*What Is The Earliest Sunset? December 8th-14th (4:31 PM)
_______________________________________________

This Day in Weather History
November 17th

1996: Six inches of snow falls in Douglas, Pope, and Stevens Counties.

1835: A strange night is observed at Ft. Snelling. Northern lights are seen over prairie fires.

_______________________________________________

On Friday, Florida will continue to see showers and thunderstorms due to an area of low pressure off the Atlantic Coast. A system moving through the eastern United States will also bring rain and snow chances. Meanwhile, California, the Great Basin, and parts of the southwestern deserts will see rain and even some snow chances.

We continue to watch the potential for an inch or two of rain through Saturday across the western and eastern United States, with mainly dry weather in the center of the nation.

Several inches of snow will fall through the first half of the weekend across the Sierra and Rockies.

_______________________________________________

'Deep disappointment' over Xcel's new policy that restricts small solar

More from the Star Tribune: "The financial benefits of rooftop solar were part of Kenneth and JoAn Warwick's retirement plan at their historic house in Faribault — once home to the inventor of the Tilt-A-Whirl. So in 2021, they began the process of installing an array, spending $2,000 to remove a large maple tree in their yard and lining up a loan for initial costs. But to hook up solar to the grid, Xcel suggested the family would need to pay an enormous sum: $1 million. "Hours and hours of work, thousands of dollars and a deep disappointment in a company which pretends to care for the rate payers," Kenneth said in an October letter to state regulators. The Warwick family is not alone in receiving a shockingly high estimate. The exorbitant cost would pay for infrastructure to make space on Xcel's power distribution network, which has long had capacity problems."

America's first hydrogen-powered ferry is set to sail

More from Canary Media: "America's first hydrogen-fueled ferry is set to launch in San Francisco early next year after more than five years in development. As the milestone nears, the vessel's owner says it's already looking to deploy more zero-emissions ferries nationwide — particularly in places where aging, polluting diesel boats still ply rivers, sounds and coastlines. On Thursday, the startup Switch Maritime said it raised $10 million in Series A funding to expand its one-vessel fleet. Nexus Development Capital led the round, which the investor described as ​"catalytic capital" meant to help Switch move beyond its first pilot project to become a full-on ferry-building business. "A lot of municipal ferry operators in populated cities are under pressure to decarbonize, as are most transit systems," Pace Ralli, Switch's CEO, told Canary Media. ​"The technology exists; now it's just about learning how to adopt these new decarbonized technologies and getting them to scale.""

A celebrated startup promised Kentuckians green jobs. It gave them a 'grueling hell on earth.'

More from Grist: "The workers had spent the morning of November 8, 2021, clipping, trussing, and trellising hundreds of thousands of tomato plants that twisted almost four stories into the air. They were inside one of the world's largest high-tech greenhouses, which sits on more than 60 acres of a former cattle field in Morehead, Kentucky. As one of the greenhouse workers, who I'll call Nora, sat down for lunch in the worker canteen, she heard her colleagues whisper about their new task for the day. U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell would be visiting that afternoon to give a speech praising the greenhouse company, AppHarvest. Before he arrived, management had to make sure their Spanish-speaking colleagues disappeared. "We had very little time," recalled Nora, whose real name is being withheld because she is subject to a nondisclosure agreement. "We had to get them off the premises and away before he got there.""

_______________________________________________

Follow me on:

Thanks for checking in and have a great day!

- D.J. Kayser