Seasonably cold end to the week, turning milder this weekend

After a cold couple of days, temperatures are going to be moderating Friday and running well above average this weekend. Thursday’s highs remained in the teens to lower 20s. Friday’s highs are going to run into the upper 20s to lower 30s across southern Minnesota and northern Iowa, which is within a couple degrees of the average high for this time of year.

We’ll still see a fair amount of sunshine Friday, just with a bit more high, thin cloud cover than we saw Thursday.

Temperatures will continue an upward climb going into this weekend, which is shaping up to be unusually mild for early to mid-December. Saturday’s high, with sunshine, will hit the lower 40s, and Sunday will be even warmer with a highs in the mid to upper 40s. This weekend will be a prime opportunity for some outdoor projects.

There isn’t much excitement over the next week and a half with a generally quiet weather pattern. Another dose of colder air will move into the region Tuesday, dropping highs back below average for the second half of next week.