Warm Weather Continues - Watching The Thunder Threat Next Week

Another quiet, warm day of weather is expected Thursday in the Twin Cities. We could start off with some fog across the region due to our melting snowpack and lighter winds. However, a mix of sun and clouds are expected with temperatures climbing from the upper 20s in the morning to the mid (potentially upper) 40s in the afternoon.

Another day of melting snow is expected across most of the state Thursday, with a mix of sun and clouds in place. Highs will mainly be in the 40s statewide. There will be some exceptions, though. Areas of the Arrowhead and North Shore will only reach the 20s and 30s for highs with winds off of Lake Superior. Down in southwestern Minnesota, we will likely see some 50s.

_______________________________________________

Quiet weather is expected each of the next five days in the Twin Cities, with just periods of clouds to break up the sun - especially Sunday. Highs through Friday will remain in the 40s, but as we head toward the weekend (particularly the second half of the weekend) and early next week we should see those pop up into the 50s due to very minimal snowpack expected by that time.

Here's a closer look at the weekend weather for the Twin Cities. Sunday appears to be a cloudier day than Saturday at the moment. It will also be windier, with wind gusts to 25 mph possible.

_______________________________________________

With the sun and warmer weather, the snow continues to melt across the region. As of Wednesday morning there was only 3" of snow depth at the MSP airport - down 2" of snow since Tuesday morning. It shrank even more during the day, with the Noon observation showing only 2" on the ground. The last time we had 3" or less of snow on the ground was the 0" of snow on the ground December 23rd, right before the pre-Christmas blizzard.

In this satellite image from the College of DuPage at 10:41 AM Wednesday, you can still see the blanket of snow on the ground stretching from southeastern Minnesota through the Twin Cities to the St. Cloud area and across northern Minnesota. This should continue to shrink as we head through the next several days.

_______________________________________________

As we head into next week, we will start to see the pattern change across the region as a storm moves in. Above is the American GFS for midday Tuesday, showing rain across most of the state (maybe even thunder?), but snow will be possible in northwestern Minnesota. As the main low moves from the Dakotas across Minnesota through the middle of the week, it does look like it could drag in some cooler air with some snow possible later Wednesday into early Thursday north of the Twin Cities. While this is still several days out, we will keep our eyes on it over the next several days.

_______________________________________________

I'm Looking Forward to Fool's Spring
By Paul Douglas

My 2021 calendar has 4 seasons, but any sober Minnesotan will tell you that's fake news. We're gearing up for Fake Spring, sometimes known as Fool's Spring. Because you're fooling yourself if you think winter is over. Then comes Second Winter (tournament storms), then a brief Spring of Deception, Third Winter (snow falling on nice green lawns), then The Pollening (allergy front). Both weeks of summer are followed by "Hell's Front Porch" (often referred to as July). Because Mother Nature never moves in a straight line.

40s feel pretty good and we should hit 50F by Saturday, with an outside shot at 60F Sunday, again the middle of next week. How warm it gets will depend on the rate of snow melt in coming days, but there's little doubt next week will feel like April.

Showery rains, even the first thunderstorm of spring, are likely next Wednesday and Thursday, followed by a push of colder air the second weekend of March.

The forecast calls for intoxicating whiffs of spring, but don't write winter off just yet.

_______________________________________________

Paul's Extended Twin Cities Forecast

THURSDAY: Partly sunny. Wake up 29. High 48. Chance of precipitation 0%. Wind E 8-13 mph.

FRIDAY: Sunny and pleasant. Wake up 26. High 47. Chance of precipitation 0%. Wind E 3-8 mph.

SATURDAY: Plenty of sun, typical for April 1. Wake up 28. High 50. Chance of precipitation 0%. Wind SE 8-13 mph.

SUNDAY: Feeling feverish. Mild sunshine. Wake up 32. High 58. Chance of precipitation 0%. Wind S 10-20 mph.

MONDAY: Blue sky lingers, slightly cooler. Wake up 37. High 55. Chance of precipitation 0%. Wind NW 8-13 mph.

TUESDAY: Another whiff of spring. Sunny. Wake up 33. High 60. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind S 10-20 mph.

WEDNESDAY: Windy. Period of rain likely. Wake up 52. High 57. Chance of precipitation 80%. Wind S 15-30 mph.

_______________________________________________

This Day in Weather History
March 4th

1935: An extremely damaging ice storm hits Duluth. At the time it was called 'The worst ice storm in Duluth's history'. The storm began with freezing rain and wet snow falling at the Duluth Weather Bureau at 7th Ave West and 8th Street at 10pm on March 3rd. The temperature was 26 degrees. By the morning of the 4th, the snow stopped but the freezing rain continued. The lights started going out in Duluth by 6pm on the 4th due to power lines breaking. By the morning of the 5th, Duluth was virtually isolated from the outside world except for shortwave radio. A local ham radio operator sent the Duluth National Weather Service reports: Four streetcars had to be abandoned in the storm, three of them in the western part of the city. A heavy salt mixture and pickaxes were used to try to free the stuck streetcars. A one-mile stretch of telephone poles along Thompson's Hill was broken off as if they were toothpicks due to the ice.

_______________________________________________

Average Temperatures & Precipitation for Minneapolis
March 4th

Average High: 35F (Record: 61F set in 2000)
Average Low: 20F (Record: -22F set in 1873)
Average Precipitation: 0.05" (Record: 0.80" set in 1984)
Average Snowfall: 0.5" (Record: 9.6" in 1984)
Record Snow Depth: 24" in 1962

_______________________________________________

Sunrise/Sunset Times for Minneapolis
March 4th

Sunrise: 6:45 AM
Sunset: 6:05 PM

*Length Of Day: 11 hours, 20 minutes and 1 second
*Daylight GAINED Since Yesterday: ~3 minutes and 7 seconds

*When Do We Climb To 11.5 Hours Of Daylight? March 8th (11 hours, 32 minutes, and 33 seconds)
*When Is The Sunrise At/Before 6:30 AM?: March 12th (6:30 AM)
*Latest Sunset Before Daylight Saving Time: March 13th (6:16 PM)

_______________________________________________

On Thursday, a system moving through the Rockies and Plains will bring showers and storms as well as snow at higher elevations. A system approaching the Pacific Northwest will provide another chance of rain and snow across the region. Some snow showers will be possible from northern Ohio to New England.

Heavy rain through Friday evening will be possible in coastal areas of the Pacific Northwest, with at least 1-3" of rain possible. Rainfall amounts of up to around an inch will also be possible in western/central Kansas. Looking at snow, a few feet of snow could accumulate in the Rockies.

_______________________________________________

Farmers Eye Dry Weather and High Costs as 2021 Gets Underway

More from Progressive Farmer: "Dry conditions are widespread in the U.S. right now, and the farther west you go, the more dire the drought reported by DTN Farmer Advisers. ... Northeastern Colorado farmer Marc Arnusch fears his region is entering historic territory. "Our farm has experienced the driest fall and winter months many of us can remember," he said. "We depend a great deal on the snowpack that falls in the Rocky Mountains for the bulk of our irrigation water supply. We simply have not received the weather events we had hoped for and the prospects for storms in the near future are bleak." Farmers from the Great Plains — Kansas, Nebraska and Alberta, Canada — echoed these concerns. But even growers farther east, from Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota and Missouri, noted the lack of moisture, as dry spots and micro-droughts are surfacing from the Great Lakes states down to the Mid-South this spring."

Weekslong Water Crisis Continues In Mississippi, Hitting Black Residents Hardest

More from HuffPost: "Frigid temperatures and torrential snowfall have largely left the South after a cold front gripped the region weeks ago, but some cities are still facing dire infrastructure failures caused by the cold and their state's lack of preparation. Most of the people suffering the most untenable circumstances ― including a now weekslong water shortage in Mississippi ― are in predominantly Black and brown communities, and their experiences offer a grim look at the reality of racial inequality under the worsening global climate crisis. When the extreme cold first touched the South in mid-February, Texas officials ― specifically, Texas Republicans ― were roundly criticized for their long-standing opposition to weatherizing the state's power supply, a progressive energy priority. But widespread infrastructure failures during and after the cold front weren't confined to Texas."

Volvo says it will be 'fully electric' by 2030 and move car sales online

More from CNBC: "Volvo Cars said Tuesday it planned to become a "fully electric car company" by the year 2030, with all sales of the firm's pure electric models set to move online. In order to meet its target, the company will look to remove cars with internal combustion engines — including hybrids — from its global offering by the end of the decade. The Chinese-owned automotive giant launched its first all-electric car last year. In the mid-term, it wants half of global sales to be fully electric by 2025, with hybrids accounting for the other half."

_______________________________________________

Thanks for checking in and have a great day! Don't forget to follow me on Twitter (@dkayserwx) and like me on Facebook (Meteorologist D.J. Kayser).

- D.J. Kayser