Mild this weekend, big pattern change coming next week

Happy Saturday everyone! WE DID IT! THE SUN CAME OUT TODAY!!!!!

Unfortunately though, the sun has been covered by a slab of stratocumulus and stratus clouds making their way northward out of northern Iowa. These clouds will descend as the evening and night progress, giving way to yet another night of dense fog. No fog advisories yet, but this will likely change as we progress through the evening.

Lows tonight will drop into the low 30F’s for most of the area. The fog and clouds will help keep us on the mild side tonight. Sunday will start out on the foggy side, with a slight chance of a few scattered showers during the afternoon. Highs will be right around 40F, so still warm for this time of year.

The temperature down swing begins Monday and continues through the entire week. Highs will still be well above normal Monday, in the upper 30F’s. However, we will have a good deal of cloud cover, with a slight chance of showers, especially across northern Iowa Monday afternoon into Monday night. Could certainly even see a few snow flakes mix in Monday night if the precipitation sticks around long enough.

High temperatures drop into the upper 20F’s for Tuesday, then into the lower 20F’s for Wednesday with mostly cloudy skies hanging around.

By Thursday and Friday, highs will barely be able to reach 20F, if at all. The good news is, we are looking at the return of sunshine! The bad news…lows Thursday night and Friday night will be in the single digits. The arctic air returns!

Next weekend will remain on the cold side, with highs in the teens. Model guidance is very enthusiastic on a large snow system making it’s way through the area next Sunday, but too far out to be confident on anything of course! One thing we do know, the cold reality of Minnesota winters returns next week, love it or hate it!