Warm this weekend, big temperature swing next week

Warm temperatures are set to hang around the Weather First area through this weekend, thanks to a persistent ridge of high pressure, and a stalling Post-Tropical Cyclone Helene.

Because of Helene’s sluggish behavior to our south, high pressure over the Upper Midwest and Great Plains will only be able to track northeast slowly over the coming days. With that said, our skies will remain cloudless, and daily high temperatures stay warm, in the lower 80F’s.

Heading into Monday, Helene’s remnants finally begin to break down and track east, allowing the ridge of high pressure over us to head eastward as well. While this is taking place, a trough of low pressure will develop across western Canada and quickly advance eastward. A cold front will precede the trough, and is expected to track across southeastern Minnesota and northern Iowa Monday evening into the overnight hours.

Because the air is going to be very dry, and the best forcing will be well to our north, no precipitation is expected from this front. Our temperatures on the other hand will drop quickly Monday night. By Tuesday, daytime high temperatures will only make it into the lower to mid 60F’s across the Weather First area.

Things don’t look to warm up all that much next week behind the front, with high temperatures remaining in the 60F’s through the remainder of the week. These temperatures will be far more typical for the time of year, with the average high for the first week of October being in the mid 60F’s. Cooler, fall like weather is on the way!