Precipitation Chances Continue Into The First Half Of The Week

Just a reminder that it does snow in April! We did see some snow across portions of the state on Sunday, including in Milroy - which is where this MNDOT webcam shot is from.

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While rain chances in the Twin Cities will remain highest in the early morning hours Monday, I wouldn't be surprised to see a few showers still lingering around at times throughout the day with a mix of sun and clouds to cloudier skies. Morning temperatures will start off down around 40F, climbing to the upper 60s.

Monday will be one of those interesting Spring days across Minnesota, with highs in the 30s in the Arrowhead (around 15F degrees below average in some locations) but the 70s in southern Minnesota (5-15F degrees above average) as a strong warm front moves into southern portions of the state.

Rain chances across southern Minnesota are highest during the early morning hours and again later in the day. Precipitation across northern Minnesota - rain in many areas, but it could mix with snow at times (especially in the Arrowhead) - will last throughout the day. The loop above runs from 7 AM Monday through 1 AM Tuesday (source: WeatherBell).

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After mostly cooler than average highs over the past few weeks - between the 11th and 24th we only saw four days with an above average high at MSP, with highs at times 20F degrees below average - we will see highs around to slightly above average for most of the upcoming work week to end April. The warmest days will be Monday and Friday, with highs attempting to reach the upper 60s.

As the associated low with that warm front slowly moves eastward to our south through the mid-week timeframe, that will bring in more rain chances across southern and eastern Minnesota. Some of this could be in the form of thunderstorms, mainly Monday Night into Tuesday. Rain chances will be moving out as we head through Wednesday, and after that, it looks dry the rest of the week. (Loop above: American model from 1 PM Tuesday through 7 PM Wednesday. Source: WeatherBell.

Models are printing out the potential that some areas of Minnesota - stretching from the southwestern portion of the state to the North Shore - could see at least 1-2" of liquid from Sunday through Wednesday evening.

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Taking Baby Steps Into Spring This Year
By Paul Douglas

Walking my dog (Leo) Sunday morning a neighbor stops his car and rolls down the window. "Paul, can't you do anything about this?" (For the record, this question never gets old). "Yes, but I choose not to!" I laugh. "What do you have against spring?" he smirks. The truth? "I want to feel warmth as much as the next guy. Maybe God is teaching us patience?" He shakes his head and drives off. Moral of the story: be glad you chose a different profession.

A slow-motion storm limping to our south will keep random showers in the forecast through Tuesday, possibly Wednesday. But daytime highs rise above 60F almost every day this week, maybe 70F by Sunday. A slow, sluggish spring. Wouldn't it be ironic if the summer of '21 was stinking hot?

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Paul's Extended Twin Cities Forecast

MONDAY: Breezy, few showers. Wake up 40. High 63. Chance of precipitation 80%. Wind SE 15-25 mph.

TUESDAY: More showers, risk of a T-storm. Wake up 50. High 59. Chance of precipitation 80%. Wind N 10-20 mph.

THURSDAY: Mostly cloudy, cool breeze. Wake up 44. High 58. Chance of precipitation 20%. Wind NW 15-25 mph.

FRIDAY: Partly sunny and nicer. Wake up 39. High 66. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind S 8-13 mph.

SATURDAY: Mix of clouds and sunshine. Wake up 45. High 65. Chance of precipitation 20%. Wind E 8-13 mph.

SUNDAY: Mild, passing shower or T-storm. Wake up 51. High 69. Chance of precipitation 50%. Wind NW 10-15 mph.

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Record Snow Depth: Trace in 2008

*Length Of Day: 14 hours, 3 minutes and 11 seconds
*Daylight GAINED Since Yesterday: ~2 minutes and 49 seconds

*When Do We Climb To 14.5 Hours Of Daylight? May 6th (14 hours, 30 minutes, and 14 seconds)
*When Is The Sunrise At/Before 6:00 AM?: May 2nd (6:00 AM)
*When Is The Sunset At/After 8:30 PM?: May 11th (8:31 PM)

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This Day in Weather History
April 26th

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On Monday, rain and snow chances exist across the western third of the nation. An area of low pressure that will be slowly moving east this week in the central U.S. will bring storm and snow chances across the upper Midwest. A few rain or snow showers will be possible in far northern New England.

We could see a foot or two of snow over the next few days in the mountain ranges out west. Meanwhile, rain chances of an inch or two exist in portions of the upper Midwest.

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California Commits to Phasing Out Oil Extraction by 2045

Climate-friendly Microbes Chomp Dead Plants Without Releasing Heat-trapping Methane

More from the University of the Texas at Austin: "The tree of life just got a little bigger: A team of scientists from the U.S. and China has identified an entirely new group of microbes quietly living in hot springs, geothermal systems and hydrothermal sediments around the world. The microbes appear to be playing an important role in the global carbon cycle by helping break down decaying plants without producing the greenhouse gas methane. "Climate scientists should take these new microbes into account in their models to more accurately understand how they will impact climate change," said Brett Baker, assistant professor at The University of Texas at Austin's Marine Science Institute who led the research published April 23 in Nature Communications."

Green – or envious? The winners and losers in Britain's climate change plan

More from The Guardian: "Boris Johnson's plan to accelerate the UK's climate ambitions over the next 15 years, revealed last week, will hasten progress towards a carbon-neutral economy by 2050. The new target – to cut the UK's carbon emissions by 78%, compared with 1990 levels, by 2035 – toughens an earlier pledge for a 68% reduction by 2030. This greater ambition could boost the fortunes of several low-carbon technologies which stand ready for a rapid roll-out. Here are the winners and losers from the new targets."

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- D.J. Kayser