Taste of Spring ahead of dropping temps, strong winds, snow

Temperatures will warm up, reflecting spring before we get a drop in temperatures due to a low pressure system and cold front bringing in cooler temperatures, strong winds, and snow to to the area.

Today will be on the sunny side with temperatures slightly cooler than average for this time of year. Winds will be breezy ranging between 10 and 20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph at times while temperatures hover in the low-30s across the area. Skies will remain mostly clear tonight as winds increase to 15 to 20 mph with gusts continuing to reach up to 30 mph at times while temperatures dip into the mid-20s by Wednesday morning.

Wednesday we will get a wonderful taste of spring despite some stronger winds in the area. Temperatures will rise into the low-40s with mostly cloudy skies moving in throughout the morning hours. Winds will continue to range between 15 and 20 mph with gusts reaching up to 30 mph at times. The good news is, we will still see some sunshine mixed in with the cloud coverage throughout the afternoon hours with the spring like temperatures mixed in. Wednesday night will become cloudy as winds stay strong and temperatures dip into the low to mid-30s by Thursday morning.

Thursday is when we will see the start of the next system precipitation wise. Temperatures through the morning and early afternoon hours will hover in the low to mid-30s before dropping into the 20s by the mid to late afternoon hours due to the passage of a strong cold front. We will start the morning off with a rain/snow mix as temperatures hover in the low to mid-30s before transitioning into snow showers once temperatures dip below 32 degrees. We are also expecting areas of blowing snow and reduced visibility as winds are expected to reach up to 25 mph with gusts reaching up to 35 mph at times. This will also lead to areas of drifting on the roads across southern Minnesota and portions of northern Iowa. Snow showers will continue into the overnight hours with strong winds as temperatures dip into the mid-teens by Friday morning. As of right now, it looks like snow totals will be on the lighter side with the area looking at 2 to 4 inches possible by Friday morning.

Friday will remain rather cloudy with spotty/scattered light snow showers around the area. Winds will remain strong up to 25 mph with gusts up to 40 mph at times. This means we are still going to be dealing with blowing snow, reduced visibility, and areas of drifting. Temperatures will remain on the cooler side with highs hovering around the upper-teens and low-20s. Friday night will remain cloudy and windy as temperatures dip to around 12 degrees by Saturday morning. Due to how light and spotty the snow showers will be on Friday, totals will remain light from a dusting up to 2 inches possible around the area.

Saturday will remain on the cloudy side throughout the day with strong winds sticking around. We could see a few flurries to light snow showers. Again, despite the minor snow chances, areas of blowing snow, reduced visibility, and drifting are expected due to the strong winds sticking around. Winds will continue to hover up to 20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph at times while temperatures remain cool with highs in the low-20s. Saturday night we will see gradual clearing as winds die down a tad to 15 mph with gusts up to 20 mph possible as temperatures dip into the single digits by Sunday morning.

Sunday will be breezy with mostly sunny skies and cooler temperatures sticking around. Temperatures will hover in the mid to upper-20s across the area with winds up to 15 mph and gusts up to 20 mph at times. Skies will become partly cloudy overnight as temperatures dip into the mid-teens by Monday morning.

The first official day of Spring comes in on Monday and we will see more Spring like temperatures return to the area throughout next week. Skies will be partly cloudy through Tuesday before mostly cloudy skies return by Wednesday of next week. Temperatures will start off in the mid-30s on Monday before rising into the upper-30s by Tuesday with a breeze sticking around up to 15 mph and gusts up to 20 mph at times.

Wednesday and Thursday will be more seasonal with highs hovering in the low-40s despite a breeze up to 15 mph and gusts up to 20 mph at times along with mostly cloudy skies. We are watching for some rain showers to move into the area next Thursday while temperatures hover in the mid-40s through the afternoon hours. Showers may turn into a rain/snow mix as temperatures dip into the mid-30s by Friday morning of next week.

Copyright 2023 KEYC. All rights reserved.