Headed fishing for the weekend? Don’t forget to cover those new decorative plants, or, worse yet, tomato plants. It’s going to get chilly around these parts.
A low temperature of 29 degrees is forecast for the extremely early morning of Friday, May 8. For the record, the coldest temperature recorded on May 7 and 8 is 27 degrees, set in 1885. A repeat is on tap for early Saturday morning, with a freeze warning in place for both days in some areas, a warning for tonight and watch for Friday/Saturday in others.
While shattering a 135-year-old record probably isn’t in many people’s plans this weekend, it’s not a total wash. The chance of rain has dropped from high probability (forecast earlier this week) to just 20 percent in our area on Saturday and Sunday, with high temperatures in the low to mid-50s. For those fishing close to home, it should be a stellar “opener” for walleye, Northern pike, and other “game” fish.
However, leave the firewood at home. A definite lack of moisture these past few weeks have many areas in “red flag” warnings up north, while “Extreme” conditions are forecast here at home. There is a high risk of wildfires through next week until rain dominates the forecast on May 14.
Here’s the weather warning from the National Weather Service in Chanhassen:
…FREEZE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM TO 9 AM CDT FRIDAY… …FREEZE WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING… * WHAT…FOR THE FREEZE WARNING, SUB-FREEZING TEMPERATURES AS LOW AS 28 EXPECTED. FOR THE FREEZE WATCH, SUB-FREEZING TEMPERATURES AS LOW AS 28 POSSIBLE. THE CORE OF THE TWIN CITIES METRO WILL LIKELY REMAIN IN THE MID 30S BOTH NIGHTS. * WHERE…PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN AND CENTRAL, EAST CENTRAL, SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA. * WHEN…FOR THE FREEZE WARNING, FROM 3 AM TO 9 AM CDT FRIDAY. FOR THE FREEZE WATCH, FROM LATE FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING. * IMPACTS…FROST AND FREEZE CONDITIONS WILL KILL CROPS, OTHER SENSITIVE VEGETATION AND POSSIBLY DAMAGE UNPROTECTED OUTDOOR PLUMBING. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… TAKE STEPS NOW TO PROTECT TENDER PLANTS FROM THE COLD. TO PREVENT FREEZING AND POSSIBLE BURSTING OF OUTDOOR WATER PIPES THEY SHOULD BE WRAPPED, DRAINED, OR ALLOWED TO DRIP SLOWLY. THOSE THAT HAVE IN-GROUND SPRINKLER SYSTEMS SHOULD DRAIN THEM AND COVER ABOVE- GROUND PIPES TO PROTECT THEM FROM FREEZING
