We are having an early spring break this year. A Star Tribune colleague put it best: “This is disorienting, Paul.” I agree. We’ve had blips of warmth in winters past. The January thaw usually lasts a couple of days. But a 2½-week thaw with temperatures 20 to 35 degrees above average? The last time MSP had a daytime high colder than 32 was 18 days ago. It’s the intensity and duration of midwinter warmth that is statistically significant.
A rumble of thunder is possible with today’s showers. NOAA SPC predicts a marginal risk of severe thunderstorms over southern Wisconsin.
We cool off and dry out Friday, with a few decorative flakes at MSP and maybe a slushy 1 to 2 inches in far northern Minnesota. I see daytime highs mostly in the 30s next week, maybe 20s by the third week of February. Definitely cold enough for snow, but storms may be in short supply. Could the pattern flip in late February and March? Absolutely. Winter isn’t over, right?
By the way, February temperatures in the Twin Cities are running 20 degrees warmer than average.
