Last week started warm with the first 50-degree reading since mid-November as well as the first above-freezing low since then.

Temperatures then returned to about average over the weekend, before ending aJonathan
Cohen little above average. For the week, they were above the mean by almost 6 degrees. The main weather event of the week was the very wet snow – typical for March – on Monday and Tuesday, March 17 and 18. Almost as much precipitation fell those two days as we have seen combined up until then this year.

The outlook is for the arrival of astronomical spring to coincide with the continuation of the active weather pattern into next week. At least as much heavy, wet snow as just fell is likely before the weekend, and then there is a chance of light snow over the weekend and into early next week, which could end as light rain. The average temperature rises above freezing by early next week, but we should see cooler temperatures in the next week with highs generally in the 30s and lows in the 20s and maybe even a reading or two in the teens.

Highs could return to the 40s by the middle of next week, but no more 50-degree readings are in sight. By Jonathan Cohen, Prior Lake observer for the Scott County Soil and Water Conservation District.