Thanksgiving Day Temperature Crash: Minnesota Set For A Big Drop

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Minnesota will see mild days early in the week before temperatures plunge heading into Thanksgiving, according to new c (NOAA) outlooks.

Minnesota will enjoy a couple more mild November days before a sharp cold front arrives just in time for Thanksgiving, according to the National Weather Service and new long-range outlooks from NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center.

The Twin Cities will be sunny and in the upper 40s and low 50s through the weekend, but a pattern change is approaching.

Rain moves in Monday and Tuesday, with up to a quarter inch possible. Colder air filters in Tuesday night, bringing a chance for a rain-snow mix as temperatures begin a steep drop.

By Wednesday, a strong northwest wind pushes highs down into the lower 30s with gusty conditions. Overnight lows fall into the teens. Thanksgiving Day is expected to reach only the upper 20s with partly sunny skies and a steady northwest breeze.

NOAA’s 6–10 day and 8–14 day outlooks show Minnesota solidly in the “below normal” temperature category through the end of November, and NOAA’s new winter seasonal outlook favors below-normal temperatures for December through February across the Upper Midwest.

In short, the state gets one last mild stretch before the holiday, followed by a true winter pattern as December turns colder.

Here's the full NWS forecast from the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport:

Today: Sunny, with a high near 48. West northwest wind around 5 mph.

Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 31. West southwest wind around 5 mph becoming south southeast after midnight.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 53. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west northwest in the afternoon.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 30. West northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 52. South southwest wind around 5 mph.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 35. South wind around 5 mph.

Monday: A 50 percent chance of rain, mainly after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 49. South southeast wind 5 to 10 mph. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Monday Night: Rain likely. Cloudy, with a low around 40. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west southwest after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Tuesday: A 50 percent chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 44. West wind 10 to 15 mph.

Tuesday Night: A chance of rain and snow before 9pm, then a chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 26. West wind around 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 31. Blustery, with a west northwest wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 19. West northwest wind 10 to 15 mph.

Thanksgiving Day: Partly sunny, with a high near 28. West northwest wind 10 to 15 mph.