Nice weather for the first day of Spring Saturday

We have made it to Spring! The Spring Equinox - marking the astronomical start to Spring - occurs at 4:37 AM Saturday morning.

_______________________________________________

While we still start off cool on Saturday with lows in the low to mid 30s, it will definitely feel like Spring by the afternoon with highs climbing to around 60F. We should see fairly sunny skies throughout the day.

Looking statewide, highs will mainly climb into the 50s under sunny skies. These highs will almost be 25F degrees above average across portions of northwestern Minnesota!

Winds will be strong out of the south on Saturday, reaching 30 mph and even 40 mph across portions of the state.

We will also see low humidity values, especially during the afternoon hours. The combination of strong winds and low humidity values will lead to a fire danger Saturday afternoon across portions of northern Minnesota, where a Fire Weather Watch is in place.

_______________________________________________

Strong winds will continue Sunday as well, although we will see more cloud cover and the potential for a few showers, mainly during the afternoon and evening hours. Highs will still be up around 60F.

We will see highs continue in the upper 40s to mid 50s for the first half of next week. Some of those cooler temperatures will be with a system moving in late Monday, lasting into Wednesday. There's the potential for both rain and snow from that system, but models have been inconsistent with the overall track of the storm recently, making it hard to forecast which is more likely at this moment.

_______________________________________________

Spring Has Come Reluctantly In Recent Years
By Paul Douglas

I have every intention of leaving my driveway stakes in the ground until the Fishing Opener this year. Consider it a public service. Because when I take them out in March, Minnesota receives a slushy spanking in April.

According to Fox9 meteorologist Cory Matz, the metro area's last accumulating snow has been in April every year since 2014. In 2013 our last coating came in May! Spring officially arrived this morning but I won't be planting begonias anytime soon.

Good timing this weekend: more warmth (and wind) with a good shot at 60F today and Sunday before a late-day shower tomorrow. A sloppy, moisture-rich storm forecast to track from Oklahoma to Wisconsin spreads rain into the metro area Tuesday, but just north and west of MSP temperatures aloft may be cold enough for accumulating snow. It's too early to speculate about amounts, but models consistently print out plowable amounts from Alexandria and Brainerd to Duluth.

Even so, late March should bring more 50s than 30s. Tip-toeing into spring...

_______________________________________________

Paul's Extended Twin Cities Forecast

SATURDAY: Bright sun, breezy. Wake up 35. High 60. Chance of precipitation 0%. Wind S 15-30 mph.

SUNDAY: Fading sun, late-day shower. Wake up 45. High 59. Chance of precipitation 40%. Wind S 15-25 mph.

MONDAY: Some sun north, few showers south. Wake up 38. High 51. Chance of precipitation 40%. Wind NE 8-13 mph.

TUESDAY: Heavier, steadier rain. Wake up 39. High 48. Chance of precipitation 90%. Wind NE 10-20 mph.

WEDNESDAY: Rain ends as slushy snow. Wake up 34. High 38. Chance of precipitation 80%. Wind N 10-20 mph.

THURSDAY: Early flakes, then partial clearing. Wake up 30. High 40. Chance of precipitation 30%. Wind NE 7-12 mph.

FRIDAY: Unsettled, few rain showers. Wake up 31. High 47. Chance of precipitation 40%. Wind E 8-13 mph.

_______________________________________________

This Day in Weather History
March 20th

1991: An early season tornado hits Faribault county from Bricelyn to Wells.

_______________________________________________

Average Temperatures & Precipitation for Minneapolis
March 20th

Average High: 43F (Record: 66F set in 1938)
Average Low: 26F (Record: -9F set in 1965)
Average Precipitation: 0.07" (Record: 0.86" set in 1921)
Average Snowfall: 0.3" (Record: 7.0" in 1886)
Record Snow Depth: 27" in 1917

_______________________________________________

Sunrise/Sunset Times for Minneapolis
March 20th

Sunrise: 7:15 AM
Sunset: 7:26 PM

*Length Of Day: 12 hours, 10 minutes and 24 seconds
*Daylight GAINED Since Yesterday: ~3 minutes and 9 seconds

*When Do We Climb To 12.5 Hours Of Daylight? March 27th (12 hours, 32 minutes, and 27 seconds)
*When Is The Sunrise At/Before 7 AM?: March 28th (7:00 AM)
*When Is The Sunset At/After 7:30 PM?: March 24th (7:31 PM)

_______________________________________________

On Saturday, a system in the western United States will produce showers and snow. A few showers will be possible with a trough of low pressure in the Southeastern U.S. Most of the rest of the nation should be quiet.

The heaviest rain through Sunday will fall in coastal areas of the Pacific Northwest, where a few inches will be possible. Some of the mountain ranges out west could see a foot or two of snow.

_______________________________________________

Climate Change Website Deleted by Trump Is Rebooted Under Biden

More from Bloomberg Green: "The latest sign the U.S. government is back in the fight against climate change? The EPA just resurrected a website chock full of data, background and science about global warming that the Trump administration had deleted. The Environmental Protection Agency's dedicated climate change portal had gone dormant under Trump, though some information and data were still maintained across other EPA web pages. Now, the climate page is back, complete with the proclamation "An EPA Priority" at the top and links to emissions data, efficiency program info and other climate resources. "Climate facts are back on EPA's website where they should be," EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in an emailed statement."

The U.S. Leads The Way in Citywide Fossil Fuel Bans

More from Earther: "In a cool and rare moment for the U.S., it's a leader in something that may actually do some good for the planet. A new report shows that the U.S. currently has the most cities in the world that have enacted some sort of ban on fossil fuels at the local level. The report, issued Thursday by the green energy policy network REN21, focuses on the changing energy landscape at a city level. Per the analysis, more than 1 billion people worldwide now live in a city or town with a renewable energy target. But it also shows how cities are working to ban fossil fuels at the local level, with various types of bans jumping fivefold in 2020—including bans on fossil fuel use in buildings."

White House appoints former NOAA leader Jane Lubchenco to key climate change role

More from the Capital Weather Gang: "The White House has appointed Jane Lubchenco, a well-known marine scientist at Oregon State University and former head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to a high-level position coordinating climate and environmental issues within its Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). The announcement scheduled for Friday marks another step in the Biden administration's all-of-government approach to tackling climate change. Lubchenco is serving in the renamed position of deputy director for climate and the environment, which in previous administrations had been known as the head of "energy and the environment." Her portfolio encompasses a broad set of issues that President Biden asked OSTP officials to address in a letter on Jan. 15."

_______________________________________________

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).

- D.J. Kayser