Warmer Spring Ahead for Central Minnesota, National Weather Service Says

(KNSI) — Meteorological spring has sprung, and according to the National Weather Service, there’s good reason to be optimistic about the months ahead.

Meteorologist Tyler Hassenstein spoke with KNSI News about the March outlook, which points toward above-normal temperatures. “There is one wrinkle to that where at least this time of year we are prone to getting some of those cooler spells due to some Arctic air moving farther south. With that possibility still in mind, we do expect to be warmer than normal for March.”

As for rain or snow this month, Hassenstein says there’s no strong signal either way, with roughly a 40% chance of above-normal precipitation, compared to about 30% for below-normal.

Looking further out into April and May, Hassenstein says the warming trend is expected to continue, driven in part by a shift from La Niña to El Niño conditions in the Pacific. “We are transitioning from La Niña to El Niño, so something like that would typically come with a little bit of more warmth for us, especially as we head into early spring and even early summer.”

For anglers and outdoor enthusiasts eyeing the fishing opener and spring planting season, Hassenstein says the temperature outlook looks promising, though day-to-day forecasts that far out are impossible to predict.

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