Warming trend continues through Friday

If you enjoyed the warmer weather Tuesday across southeastern Minnesota and northern Iowa, you are in luck! There is plenty more warmer weather on the way the remainder of this week and the upcoming weekend, all thanks to high pressure over us, a meandering upper level low pressure to our south, and Hurricane Helene of all things.

Temperatures through the remainder of the week are going to be on the increase across the Weather First area, with highs potentially reaching the 80F mark for some on Thursday, which is 12F above average for this time of year! Overnight lows will also increase into the mid 50F’s for most by this weekend.

Sky conditions will clear out Tuesday night, and remain generally clear through the remainder of the week as well, meaning clear nights and sunny days. Why are we expected to see such a long stretch of quiet and warm weather though?

Soon to be Hurricane Helene is intensifying in the northwestern Caribbean Sea, and is forecast to enter the Gulf of Mexico, strengthen, then make landfall in Florida as a category 3 major hurricane on Thursday. While Helene tracks north, an area of upper level low pressure associated with the cold front decaying over the Weather First area currently will slide southward across the Mid-Mississippi River Valley.

The upper level pattern created by this low, as well as Hurricane Helene tracking northward, will cause a atmospheric block of sorts across the Mississippi River Valley, preventing high pressure to the west from moving east. Because of this block, the high pressure moving into our area Tuesday night will remain in our area until early next week. Due to the high pressure sticking around for such an extended period of time, warmer temperatures and clear skies will become a temporary normal around here.

With that said, the warmer temperatures and sunny skies will stick around for the next several days, and will continue to postpone the arrival of true fall like temperatures until sometime early next week.