"A strong system is expected to impact the Upper Midwest by midweek. Heavy precipitation and mixed precipitation are expected. The location of the heaviest precipitation and precipitation type remains uncertain. Continue to monitor the forecast for updates as the week progresses. The image is an experimental probabilistic Winter Storm Severity Index. It illustrates the potential impacts of minor, moderate, major or extreme depending upon snow amounts, snow rate, snow load, ice accumulation and blowing snow."

Here's the weather outlook from AM Sunday to PM Thursday. Weather conditions will remain mostly quiet through early next week before a large storm system arrives midweek. There is still a lot of uncertainty, but it is looking more likely that areas of rain, sleet & snow will be possible across the region. Stay tuned...

Here's NOAA's WPC extended precipitation outlook through Friday of next week. Early estimates suggest a pretty waterlogged storm system moving through with up to or more than 1" of liquid possible. Stay tuned...

We're still several weeks away from ice out across the state, but according to the MN DNR, here's a look at the average ice out dates for lakes across the state. Note that some lakes across the southern part of the state typically see ice out around the end of March. Lake Minnetonka typically doesn't see ice out until mid April. A few lakes in far northern & northeastern MN don't see ice out until late April or early May.

See more from the MN DNR HERE:

According to NOAA's GLERL, near 21% of the great lakes is considered ice covered. 36% of Lake Superior is ice covered.

"March 21, 2022 - Spring leaf out continues to progress across the country. Our spring leaf anomaly compares the arrival of spring leaf out this year to a long-term average of 1991-2020. After a slow start to spring across much of the Southeast, spring is progressing more rapidly, arriving a few days to a week early in the southern Great Plains, the Southern Appalachians, and parts of Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia. The Washington, D.C. area is 5-10 days early. Parts of New York City are one week early. In western states, spring leaf out is patchy, arriving a week late in some locations and over a month early in others. Spring bloom has also started to arrive in southern states, days to a week late in Texas and Florida and days to several weeks early in California. Spring bloom is over a week early in parts of Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. We will continue to update this page as spring leaf out and bloom unfold across the country - check back frequently on this page!"

Here's the weather outlook from AM Saturday to PM Wednesday. Note that weather conditions will be quiet through the weekend with chilly temps in place. The extended forecast suggests more active weather in place as we head into next week. It is still too early to get specific, but there could certainly be some decent rains and possibly snow somewhere in the Upper Midwest.

The weather outlook for Minneapolis on Sunday will be chilly once again, however, winds won't be quite as strong as they were on Friday & Saturday. With that being said, temps will feel more like the single digits in the morning with highs warming to around the freezing mark by the afternoon.

The hourly temps for Minneapolis on Sunday shows readings starting in the mid 10s in the morning and will warm into the low to mid 30ss later in the afternoon. Skies will be sunny with NNW winds around 5-10mph.

Feels like temps for Minneapolis on Sunday will be chilly with readings in the single digits in the morning and will warm into the mid 20s by the afternoon.

Temps around the region on Sunday will still be nearly -10F to -20F below average for late March. Readings will only warm into the 20s and 30s across the state under mostly sunny skies.

The extended weather outlook over the next 7 day shows chilly sunshine in place over once again on Sunday. We'll warm a little this week, but it could be more active with areas of rain and snow.

According to the ECMWF & GFS extended temperature outlook, temps will be pretty chilly for the end of March and the early part of April. Readings will bounce around the 30s and 40s, but could reach the lower 50s by early April. Stay tuned...

According to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, the 8 to 14 day temperature outlook shows warmer than average temps across the Western US and cooler than average temps in place east of the Rockies

According to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, the 8-14 Day precipitation outlook shows more active weather possible across the Southeastern US.

Spring came and went. I miss spring. A faintly feverish feeling will return in early April, but in the meantime let me tell you about an "average" spring. There is no such thing, but let's pretend.

I'll be grinning through gritted teeth during today's February flashback. At least winds will ease up a bit.

The next storm spreads a smear of rain into town Tuesday, mixing with ice and snow Wednesday, before slowly tapering Thursday. A few inches may pile up; heaviest amounts closer to Duluth.

In other news I see a few 50s by the first week of April. Oh thank God.

SUNDAY: Sunny and cold. Winds: NW 8-13. High: 33.

SUNDAY NIGHT: Mostly clear and quiet. Winds: NW 5. Low: 19.

TUESDAY: A cold rain develops. Winds: SE 10-20. Wake-up: 30. High: 40.

WEDNESDAY: Changeover to snow and ice. Winds: N 15-25. Wake-up: 32. High: 37.

THURSDAY: Light snow tapers to flurries. Winds: NW 15-25. Wake-up: 27. High: 33.

FRIDAY: Partly sunny. Snow rapidly melts. Winds: NE 7-12. Wake-up: 23. High: 39.

SATURDAY: Some sunshine, closer to average. Winds: NE 7-12. Wake-up: 22. High: 43.

1946: A record high of 78 is set at Redwood Falls.

March 27th

Average High: 47F (Record: 75F set in 1946)

Average Low: 29F (Record: 5F set in 1921)

Record Rainfall: 1.52" set in 1998

March 27th

Sunrise: 7:02am

Sunset: 7:34pm

Hours of Daylight: ~12 hours & 31 minutes

Daylight GAINED since yesterday: ~ 3 minute & 08 seconds

3.1 Days After Last Quarter Moon

The weather outlook on Saturday shows temps running well below average along and east of the Mississippi River. However, the western half of the nation will be well above average with record highs likely in many spots across the Southwestern US.

Weather conditions through early next week shows lingering show showers across the Eastern Great Lakes with snow accumulations for some. The next big storm will develop across the Western US with areas of heavy rain possible in the Southwestern US.

According to NOAA's Weather Prediction Center, in the eastern half of the nation with some of the heaviest found along the Gulf Coast States. There will also be some decent precipitation in the Southwest, including California.

Here's the ECMWF extended snowfall outlook through next week. Areas of heavy snow will be possible across the Upper Midwest and into the Northeast. There could also be some decent tallies across the Rockies and the Sierra Nevada Range in California.

See more from Discover Magazine HERE:

A nearly two-year-long study of Hawaiian corals suggests some species may be better equipped to handle warmer, more acidic waters than previously believed. Christopher Intagliata: Within a few decades, global temperatures are expected to climb to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. And that's gonna be really bad for corals, according to the latest report out from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Andréa Grottoli: So the recent IPCC report says that up to 1.5 we can expect 10 to 30 percent coral survivorship. And above that, it decreases precipitously.

See more from Scientific American HERE:

"Every day, millions of Americans benefit from an incredible invention without ever paying it much mind. Doppler weather radar is responsible for saving countless lives over the past four decades. This technology can help meteorologists spot damaging winds and tornadoes, giving folks in harm's way plenty of lead time to get to safety. A recent tornado in Texas highlights how far this lifesaving technology has come in just a few years. Meteorologists harnessed radar technology to keep an eye on precipitation in the years after World War II. During the late 1950s, the government built a network of radars to provide communities advanced warning of dangerous storms."

See more from Forbes HERE: