Shawn Cable

Fall feelin’ weather is here and we are looking forward to our next chance of rain late tonight through Thursday. Rainfall amounts of around a quarter inch or more will be possible with heavier amounts south and lighter amounts north. After the rain, we will dry out and temperatures will drop. In fact, we could see our first frost of the season Friday night into Saturday morning. After that, temperatures will climb again, setting us up for a fantastic fall weekend. The mild, dry weather will continue well into next week.

MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) - NOAA released its winter outlook Thursday, and the odds are leaning toward a warmer-than-average winter across southern Minnesota and northern Iowa. However, there’s considerably more uncertainty when it comes to precipitation and how much snow we might see.

After a cool, rainy day, things will improve as we roll into the weekend, but we still have a couple of hurdles to deal with. First, once the rain moves out, the wind will kick in with gusts of 35 to 45 mph Thursday night into Friday morning. The other big issue will be our first frost of the season, which looks likely Friday night into Saturday morning. If you have any sensitive plants, you’ll want to cover them or drag them indoors before you go to bed Friday night. After a chilly start Saturday, temperatures will rebound quickly, setting us up for a fantastic weekend to check out fall colors.

A FREEZE WARNING is in effect for Friday night into Saturday morning

We have a couple more unusually warm days ahead of us before a cold front brings some big changes to our weather. Temperatures will climb into the 70s again Friday and Saturday, but we’ll also have several chances for rain through the weekend. Not everyone will get wet, and this certainly won’t be a washout. Our best chance for widespread, measurable rain will arrive late Sunday night into Monday, along with much cooler temperatures. By early next week, highs will be back in the 50s.

MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) - El Niño continues to strengthen, and it could become one of the strongest events in quite a while.

After a wet, cool day on Monday, some big temperature changes are on the way. After struggling to get out of the 40s Monday, temperatures will climb back into the 60s Tuesday and could reach the low 70s Wednesday. Unfortunately, the warmer weather will come with another round of rain and possibly a few thunderstorms. We’ll dry out again Thursday and Friday before another weather system brings additional rain chances for Halloween weekend. Despite all the rain chances, temperatures will remain above average through the end of the week and into early November.

The rain is finally moving out, but scattered showers remain in the forecast off and on this weekend and beyond. Temperatures will continue climbing through Wednesday, with highs potentially reaching the low 70s before another cold front brings showers and a few thunderstorms Wednesday night. We’ll get another break from the rain Thursday before additional showers move in Friday and continue into Halloween weekend. The good news is that temperatures will remain warmer than average through the weekend and into early next week, with no significant cold weather in sight.

We continue to monitor the potential for a few strong to severe thunderstorms across parts of central and southern Minnesota this afternoon and evening.

After Wednesday’s thunderstorms, we’ll enjoy a quieter end to the work week before scattered showers return this weekend. Temperatures will remain fairly mild for late October, with another better chance for widespread rain developing early next week.