Change of seasons this weekend; warmer temperatures for Sunday

We woke up Saturday morning to some of the chilliest temperatures since late-May, early June. Our low temperature this morning for the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport was 48 degrees. The last time the Twin Cities was below 50 degrees was May 25th. The northeastern areas had below freezing temperatures. Ely came in at 28 degrees, and Hibbing 30 degrees. Tonight look for temperatures to drop into the upper 40s to low 50s across the state. The metro area will come in around 54 degrees.

Change of seasons in one weekend

A pleasant fall-like day ahead for our Saturday as highs climb into the upper 60s to low 70s. Look for light winds and mainly sunny skies. We will see some afternoon cumulus clouds develop.

A ridge of high pressure over the Upper Midwest will begin to slide southeast towards the Ohio River Valley. On the backside of this high pressure system we will see the return of south-southwesterly winds. These winds will bring in warmer temperatures from the Dakotas.

High temperatures on Sunday jump back into the upper 70s to lower 80s. Some lower to mid-70s can be expected for northeastern Minnesota. Those south-southwesterly winds will be increasing throughout the day 5-15 mph for central through southern Minnesota. Northern Minnesota will see a more westerly wind 5-10 mph.

Prolonged period of a copy/paste forecast

The forecast models indicate that we'll experience a prolonged period of semi-zonal flow aloft. This pattern typically leads to consistent weather conditions, so we can expect much of the same day after day. For the upcoming week, this means we'll see temperatures in the 80s with calm, stable conditions continuing. Until there’s a shift in the atmospheric pattern, anticipate more of the same tranquil, warm weather.