Record warmth Thursday; rain and snow on the way Friday, Saturday

Our latest wave of December warmth set numerous high temperature records across Minnesota Thursday. You can see on the image above the warm gush of mild air pushing into Minnesota from the south.

Temperatures in the 50s reached the Canadian border Thursday afternoon. Here are some select record maximum temperatures recorded Thursday:

• 50 degrees, Crane Lake, Orr, Park Rapids

• 52 degrees, International Falls

• 54 degrees, New Ulm, Fergus Falls

• 55 degrees, Hutchinson, Wheaton

• 56 degrees, Granite Falls

• 57 degrees Madison

The Twin Cities topped out at 52 degrees Thursday. That’s 23 degrees above normal, and 6 degrees shy of the record of 58 degrees for Dec. 14.

MPR News climate specialist Mark Seeley points out that this is the fifth warmest December on record for Minnesota through the first two weeks.

Rain and snow on the way

Normally we would be talking about all snow by Dec. 15 across Minnesota. But temperatures will run above freezing in the north and in the 40s south again Friday.

A weather system will bring a mix of rain and snow to Minnesota Friday and Saturday.

Most of southern Minnesota will see all rain with this system, but there could be a period of snow Saturday. Rain will change to snow across central and northern Minnesota Friday night and Saturday.

Several inches of sloppy wet snow is likely to accumulate across central and northern Minnesota through Saturday.

Here’s the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Global Forecast System model snowfall output:

Below is the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts model snowfall output. It suggests we could see some light accumulations in the Twin Cities area.

Roads may be mostly wet, but there could be some slick roads north of the Twin Cities this weekend.