A Pleasant, Warm Easter Weekend

A very pleasant and warm Saturday awaits us this Easter weekend, with temperatures starting off around 40F and climbing into the low 70s for highs. Mainly sunny skies are expected throughout the day.

If you are spending time outside this weekend, make sure you apply some sunscreen with the sunny skies expected. The UV index will top off around 5 Saturday, meaning a sunburn could occur within about 40 minutes. I will say that I spent one afternoon laying in a hammock last weekend, and even with a mix of sun and clouds that day I did end up with a little bit of a sunburn on my forehead - so the sun is definitely strong enough for a sunburn after an extended period of time!

Highs across the state will range from 15-25F degrees above average Saturday as highs climb mainly into the 60s and 70s. A few areas in far northern Minnesota and along the North Shore could stay in the 50s, though. Mainly sunny skies are expected.

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As we head into Easter Sunday, another brilliant day of weather is expected across the state. A few more clouds are expected, so we'll call it partly to mostly sunny with highs ranging from the 40s along the North Shore to the low 80s in southwestern portions of the state.

Here are Easter weather stats for the Twin Cities. The warmest we've ever been on Easter was back on April 10th, 1977, when the high reached 88F. The coldest Easter high was a bone-chilling 15F in 1894, when it fell on March 25th. The snowiest (and wettest Easter)? Well, that was last year when 6.6" of snow fell (liquid equivalent of 0.60") on April 12th.

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Odds Of Another April Surprise This Year?
By Paul Douglas

I've discovered it's often darkest before it goes pitch black. When the weather is "too nice" for too long, the other shoe (boot) often drops. Will we see an April Surprise in 2021?

Pangs of slushy paranoia are in order. Last year 7.3" fell (most of that on Easter Sunday). April 2019 brought 10" and April 2018 whipped up a record 26"! Weather playing out of tune, anyone?

The pattern this year is significantly milder overall, but don't get too comfortable. And I apologize in advance for pulling out my driveway stakes.

After romping in the 70s for a few days we cool off, but I see mostly 50s and a couple of 60s ahead. Deep breaths.

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Paul's Extended Twin Cities Forecast

SATURDAY: Sunny and perfect. Wake up 41. High 71. Chance of precipitation 0%. Wind NW 5-10 mph.

SUNDAY: Partly sunny, feels like May. Wake up 48. High 75. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind S 10-15 mph.

TUESDAY: Breezy & cooler, few showers late? Wake up 51. High 66. Chance of precipitation 40%. Wind NE 10-20 mph.

WEDNESDAY: Heavier, soaking rain expected. Wake up 47. High 59. Chance of precipitation 90%. Wind E 15-25 mph.

THURSDAY: Unsettled with showery rains. Wake up 43. High 58. Chance of precipitation 70%. Wind S 10-20 mph.

FRIDAY: Clouds and showers linger. Wake up 42. High 56. Chance of precipitation 60%. Wind W 10-20 mph.

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1999: An ice storm hits Duluth and the Arrowhead. An 800 foot television tower in Duluth collapses due to the weight of the ice.

1982: A sharp cold front causes the temperature at Lamberton in Redwood County to drop from 78 to 7 degrees. This 71 degree change in 24 hours is the maximum 24-hour temperature change in Minnesota.

1837: A snowstorm rages for four days at Ft. Snelling and dumps 9 inches.

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Average Temperatures & Precipitation for Minneapolis
April 3rd

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Sunrise/Sunset Times for Minneapolis
April 3rd

Sunrise: 6:49 AM
Sunset: 7:43 PM

*Length Of Day: 12 hours, 54 minutes and 19 seconds
*Daylight GAINED Since Yesterday: ~3 minutes and 6 seconds

*When Do We Climb To 13 Hours Of Daylight? April 5th (13 hours, 0 minutes, and 32 seconds)
*When Is The Sunrise At/Before 6:30 AM?: April 14th (6:29 AM)
*When Is The Sunset At/After 8:00 PM?: April 16th (8:00 PM)

As we look at the nation for the Saturday before Easter, it's going to be fairly quiet out there! A few storms will be possible in the Southern Plains, with some rain and higher elevation snow showers in the Pacific Northwest. A few rogue showers may be possible over the eastern Great Lakes and in southern Florida.

It's going to be a very quiet Easter weekend across the nation precipitation-wise, with the best chance of over a quarter inch of rain across portions of the Southern Plains and Pacific Northwest. It'll be the Cascades that could see a few inches of snow this weekend.

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'Astronomical' Cliff Erosion Forces Chatham Weather Balloon Launching Station To Close

More from CBS Boston: "March 31 was an end of an era in Chatham. The National Weather Service's Upper Air Observation Station, located on Morris Island, launched its final weather balloon after 60 years of continuous service. It's somewhat ironic that after tracking weather for so long, this observation site is about to fall victim to it. The site for the balloon launches is on the top of a 40-foot cliff with sand and ocean below. Andy Nash, meteorologist-in-charge of National Weather Service Boston, said that over the last six months, the erosion in that area has been "astronomical." The bluff is losing 1 to 2 feet per week on average, with some storms grabbing 6 feet of sand."

More from Wildfire Today: "The predictions for wildland fire potential issued April 1 predicts wildfire potential will be higher than normal in Florida, the Southern Plains, and the Southwest through June, 2021. High potential is also expected during April in North Dakota and portions of the state's neighbors, Montana, South Dakota, and Minnesota."

Fossil Fuel Companies Took Billions in U.S. Coronavirus Relief Funds but Still Cut Nearly 60,000 Jobs

More from Inside Climate News: "When Congress looked to prop up a tanking economy and stanch its hemorrhaging of employment as the pandemic spread last year, the oil industry was among those that sought relief. Now, a new analysis shows that dozens of fossil fuel companies received billions of dollars in tax benefits in the coronavirus relief package, but slashed tens of thousands of jobs anyway. While Congress ended up sending billions in direct loans to small and large businesses, a significant portion of CARES Act benefits came in the form of changes to the tax code. At least 77 fossil fuel companies took advantage of those to claim a total of $8.2 billion in benefits last year, even as they cut nearly 60,000 jobs, according to an analysis published Friday by BailoutWatch, a nonprofit supported by Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors."

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Thanks for checking in and have a great day! Don't forget to follow me on Twitter (@dkayserwx) and like me on Facebook (Meteorologist D.J. Kayser).