It's still March, Minnesota. Expect a chilly weekend, another sloppy system next week.

Welcome to the last week of March, Minnesota.

This time of year can be frustrating for those of us who want to leap directly into spring weather. But I always try and remind people, it’s still March. And March is a month that’s usually more winter than spring in these parts.

The next week shows a cool bias for Minnesota. The average high and low for the Twin Cities are 47 and 26 degrees this weekend.

Upside-down temperatures Thursday

Bright sunshine graces central and northern Minnesota Thursday. But thicker clouds covered areas from the Twin Cities southward.

That produced an upside-down temperature pattern across Minnesota Thursday afternoon. It hit 50 in Fergus Falls Thursday afternoon and 49 in Bemidji. See how temperatures are warmer in the northern half of the state compared to the 30s in the south?

Friday cold front

A cold front sails through Minnesota with gusty winds and colder temperatures. NOAA’s surface maps sequence through Saturday shows the fronts sweeping south through Minnesota, with chilly Canadian high-pressure nudging in this weekend from the north.

Northern Minnesota looks likely to pick up an inch or two of snow centered on Ely and the BWCA.

Highs top out around 40 in the Twin Cities with 30s up north.

Sunny, cool weekend

This last weekend of March will feel like early March. We’ll see plenty of sunshine across Minnesota, but temperatures will be chilly.

Messy storm next week?

Temperatures moderate a bit next Monday and Tuesday.

Forecast models still suggest a sloppy storm with rain and snow toward the middle of next week. Here’s NOAA’s GFS model output for next Wednesday into Thursday.

There are signs of warmer air in about 10 days to two weeks.

Stay tuned.