Good News For Minnesota's Winter Lovers After A Sweltering Fall, NOAA Says

TWIN CITIES, MN — Minnesota may finally be approaching a more winter-like pattern after an unusually warm fall, according to several new outlooks from the National Weather Service (NWS).

Multiple National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) maps released this week suggest colder air and increased precipitation chances arriving at the end of November and continuing into early December.

Thanksgiving Week: Still Mild

NOAA’s 6 to 10 Day Temperature Outlook for Nov. 24 to 28 keeps Minnesota warmer than normal through Thanksgiving. That lines up with the short-term forecast, which features highs in the upper 40s and low 50s.

The Weather Prediction Center’s Day 7 maximum temperature forecast for Wednesday, Nov. 26, shows the Twin Cities near 40 degrees, with widespread 50s and 60s still covering much of the central and eastern United States.

A Shift After Thanksgiving

The 8 to 14 Day Temperature Outlook covering Nov. 26 to Dec. 2 shows a significant pattern flip.

Much of Minnesota is shaded in the below-normal temperature category as colder air spreads across the northern Plains and Upper Midwest. It is the strongest early-season cold signal so far this fall.

Wetter Pattern Developing

NOAA’s 8 to 14 Day Precipitation Outlook favors above-normal precipitation over Minnesota. When paired with a colder temperature trend, this setup often leads to more frequent storm systems and a greater chance of snow.

Warm Fall So Far

October finished far warmer and drier than average in the Twin Cities.

• Average temperature: 55.0 degrees (normal 49.5)
• Several days reached the 80s, including 91 degrees on Oct. 4
• Total precipitation: 1.04 inches (normal 2.58)

November has also leaned warm through the 18th.

• Several highs in the 50s and 60s, including 72 degrees on November 14
• One brief cold stretch from November 8 to 10
• Light precipitation overall
• Temperatures running above normal

Short-Term Forecast From MSP

The local forecast continues the mild trend heading into the weekend.

Today: Cloudy, high near 44

Tonight: Chance of drizzle, low 38

Thursday: Mostly sunny in the afternoon, high near 50

Thursday night: Partly cloudy, low 28

Friday: Sunny, high near 45

Saturday: Mostly sunny, high near 51

Sunday: Mostly sunny, high near 50

Early next week: Upper 40s with a slight chance of rain Tuesday

Bottom Line

After a stretch of warm, quiet weather that has lasted since early fall, NOAA’s long-range outlooks show colder and more active conditions building as December arrives.

Minnesota may finally be heading toward a more typical early-winter pattern.