Cold front increases winds Friday; some rain, snow chances ahead

A cold front moving across the state will increase winds and drop temperatures from north to south. We also have a couple of rain, and snow chances ahead. 

Cool front brings blustery winds, colder temperatures Friday night

Friday will be milder for southern Minnesota ahead of a cold front that’s sweeping across the state. It will create quite the contrast with highs just in the low 20s in far northwestern Minnesota with low to mid-50s in the Twin Cities and south-central Minnesota. We’ll see scattered clouds.

There could be a few spotty rain and snow showers, mainly in southwestern Minnesota with the front. Otherwise, most will remain dry. Winds will increase from the northwest at 15 to 25 mph with gusts as high as 35 mph in western Minnesota.

It’ll be the coldest night since last Saturday night for many behind the front as skies clear out. Lows will range from the low 20s in southern Minnesota to perhaps a degree or two below zero up along the international border Friday night.

Saturday will be cooler with highs mainly in the 40s across southern Minnesota and 30s north. Southwestern Minnesota will still be in the low 50s.

We have a somewhat active pattern developing over the weekend into next week with two potential systems producing rain and snow showers. The first one comes Saturday night into Sunday with a mix of rain and snow south to mainly snow in northeastern Minnesota.

A winter storm watch is posted for northeastern Minnesota due to the potential for significant snowfall accumulations Saturday night into Sunday night.

Up to 12 inches of snow could fall in some spots along the North Shore.

While we’ll see primarily rain in the Twin Cities, a slushy coating can’t be ruled out late Sunday.

Another disturbance arrives possibly as early as Monday night. The forecast models differ on the timing which will also impact precipitation types and there is low confidence in next week’s weather systems.