The Twin Cities broke a record Wednesday for the hottest April 12, continuing an unexpected stretch of summerlike warmth after Minnesota received snow less than two weeks earlier.
The thermometer reached 88 degrees by 5:15 p.m. at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, breaking the record of 83 degrees set in 1931, according to the National Weather Service.
The rest of the workweek is expected to stay warm, with highs in the mid-80s Thursday and low 80s Friday, according to Weather Service meteorologist Bill Borghoff.
The dry heat and high winds have led the Weather Service to declare a "red flag warning" for the Twin Cities metro area, south-central and southeastern Minnesota from noon until 8 p.m. Thursday. A red flag warning means strong winds, low humidity and warm temperatures are expected to create dangerous fire conditions.
The record highlights what has been a dramatic swing in weather compared with a week ago, when the Twin Cities was struggling to reach 50 degrees for the first time since fall.
Minnesotans have a short window to enjoy the heat, as a cold front is expected to move in Friday night. Temperatures will drop to the low 50s by Saturday, Borghoff said.
The cold front will bring a round of rain to the area, and there's a chance it will turn to snow by early Sunday morning. If the forecast low of 35 degrees holds up Saturday night, any snow wouldn't accumulate, but if the temperature drops lower that could change.
"If it does drop below freezing Saturday night and it's still snowing, there could be some minor accumulation, mostly on the grass," Borghoff said.
