Weekend weather: Record warmth possible Sunday along with rain showers

Holiday travelers in Minnesota won’t be dealing with any big snowstorms this weekend. Periods of rain are in the forecast for much of Minnesota and parts of Wisconsin beginning Saturday night and lingering into Sunday and Christmas Day. Parts of western and northern Minnesota could see a mix of rain and snow Sunday and Sunday night into early Monday.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s North American Mesoscale Forecast System model shows the potential precipitation pattern from 6 p.m. Saturday through 6 p.m. Sunday:

You can hear updated weather information for Minnesota and western Wisconsin on the MPR News network. 

Warmth continues

The average Twin Cities high temperature is 26 degrees on Dec. 23. Metro area highs are expected to reach the upper 40s this Saturday.

Much of Minnesota and western Wisconsin will see Saturday highs in the 40s.

Some spots in far southern Minnesota could top 50 degrees and parts of far northern Minnesota will see some upper 30s.

Sunday high temperatures range from 30s in northwestern Minnesota to lower 50s in the Twin Cities metro area plus southeastern Minnesota and parts of west-central Wisconsin.

The Twin Cities record high temperature for Dec. 24 is 46 degrees, set in 1957. That record appears likely to be broken on Sunday.

Christmas Day will feature highs in the 30s across much of Minnesota, with 40s in the Twin Cities metro area plus south central and southeastern Minnesota and west central Wisconsin:

In case you’re wondering, the Twin Cities record high temp for Dec. 25 is 51 degrees, set in 1922.

Programming note

You can hear my live weather updates on MPR News at 7:35 a.m., 9:35 a.m. and 4:39 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday.