Warmer Sunday And Into The Work Week - Precipitation Chance Tuesday

The good news is that we will see sunnier weather as we roll into Sunday - even though it will stay somewhat breezy out there. Morning temperatures start off in the single digits with highs climbing to the mid-30s. Those breezy southwesterly winds will make it feel more like the single digits below zero in the morning and the 20s in the afternoon.

Sunnier skies reign the state on Sunday with highs climbing into the 20s and 30s. Despite it being warmer out there Sunday vs. Friday and Saturday, highs will still be up to around 10F degrees below average.

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This considerable below-average weather we've been in the past few days doesn't last into the work week! It looks like we'll see an extended stretch of weather with highs generally in the low to mid-40s here in the metro through next weekend (which will be within a few degrees of average). As a reminder, the Spring Equinox is Monday at 4:24 PM - so we will "officially" be into Spring this upcoming week!

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Six-hour precipitation from 7 AM Tuesday to 7 AM Saturday.

Meanwhile, we continue to track precipitation chances next week. The first chance rolls in Tuesday into Tuesday Night, with some rain and snow chances across the region. The second system, pegged for later in the week (Thursday-ish timeframe), now looks to be sagging mainly south of the state with little impact here. We'll keep an eye on these precipitation chances over the next several days to see how much impact they'll have on the region.

A Well Deserved Thaw Arrives This Week
By Paul Douglas

How are your March Madness brackets? I read the odds of filling out a perfect NCAA Basketball bracket are 1 in 9.2 quintillion. A quintillion is a 1 followed by 18 zeroes. If you stacked 9.2 quintillion one dollar bills, it would stretch from Earth to Pluto over 60 times. So you're telling me there's a chance? Roughly the odds of an early spring in Minnesota.

I do see 40s the next 2 weeks and ECWMF (European model) prints out 50F on April 1. We will melt some snow in the coming weeks, slowly but slowly. With any luck we can end the drought AND lower the threat of river flooding.

A sunny thaw arrives today, with a shot at 40F many days this week. A slushy mix Tuesday ends as rain Tuesday night with little or no accumulation at MSP, but plowable amounts up north. Good news for residents of Duluth, where 122" has fallen this winter. Nearly 4 feet above average.

Big storms sail south of Minnesota later in the week with no imminent weather-drama. I've unplugged the Doppler for a few days. It needs a rest.

Paul's Extended Twin Cities Forecast

SUNDAY: Sunny and breezy. Wake up 8. High 38. Chance of precipitation 0%. Wind SW 15-25 mph.

MONDAY: Mostly cloudy and dry. Wake up 22. High 37. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind NE 8-13 mph.

TUESDAY: Slushy snow turns to rain late. Wake up 24. High 39. Chance of precipitation 80%. Wind E 10-20 mph.

WEDNESDAY: Showers taper, partial clearing. Wake up 30. High 41. Chance of precipitation 30%. Wind W 10-20 mph.

FRIDAY: Partly sunny and quiet. Wake up 23. High 40. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind NE 7-12 mph.

SATURDAY: More clouds than sun. Tolerable. Wake up 28. High 42. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind N 3-8 mph.

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Minneapolis Weather Almanac And Sun Data
March 19th

*Length Of Day: 12 hours, 5 minutes, and 41 seconds
*Daylight GAINED Since Yesterday: 3 minutes and 9 seconds

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This Day in Weather History
March 19th

2012: This is the 4th day in a row that the Twin Cities reaches at least 79 degrees, and the 8th record high in a 10 day span.

1977: An energy emergency finally ends in Minnesota. It was caused by the extended cold.

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Several inches of snow could accumulate through Monday in the western mountains and the Great Lakes. Rainfall amounts in coastal areas of the west coast could approach a couple of inches.

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Where Did Earth's Water Come From? Not Melted Meteorites, According to Scientists

More from the University of Maryland: "Water makes up 71% of Earth's surface, but no one knows how or when such massive quantities of water arrived on Earth. A new study published in the journal Nature brings scientists one step closer to answering that question. Led by University of Maryland Assistant Professor of Geology Megan Newcombe, researchers analyzed melted meteorites that had been floating around in space since the solar system's formation 4 1/2 billion years ago. They found that these meteorites had extremely low water content—in fact, they were among the driest extraterrestrial materials ever measured. These results, which let researchers rule them out as the primary source of Earth's water, could have important implications for the search for water—and life—on other planets. It also helps researchers understand the unlikely conditions that aligned to make Earth a habitable planet."

In Puerto Rico, advocates want the clean energy revolution to be local

Volkswagen plans to sell battery cells to Ford and reduce EV costs as it eyes mining investment

More from electrek: "VW has big ambitions to bring down EV costs, starting with the battery cells. To do so, the automaker looks to invest in mines as it looks to vertically integrate. Through PowerCo, VW plans to meet half of its own demand while selling to other automakers like Ford. It's been a busy month for Volkswagen, starting with the release of the upgraded ID 3 with improved design and features. ... There have also been reports that the automaker is developing its smallest, cheapest EV model yet, likely to be called the ID 1 (or ID Polo) that will start around $20,000 and expected to arrive in 2027."

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