Still too early to plant those tender plants & flowers

Don't let the daffodils and tulips fool you. Only the brave (and foolhardy) are planting annuals this early. Last night's patchy frost in the far, outlying suburbs of central and southern MN was a rude reminder that frost is quite prevalent across central Minnesota through the third week of May. The general rule of thumb holds: if you want to be ABSOLUTELY safe: wait until Memorial Day to plant your vegetable patch.

The average date of the LAST 32 degree low, at least for the MSP International Airport: April 29 (NWS data). Keep in mind that's just the average, mind you. Here is some additional data for towns across the area.

MEDIAN DATES OF CRITICAL LOW TEMPERATURE THRESHOLDS IN MINNESOTA
(Period of record 1948-2005)

DISTRICT     MEDIAN DATE OF      MEDIAN DATE OF     DAYS BETWEEN
AND        LAST MIN. TEMP      FIRST MIN. TEMP    MEDIAN DATES
STATION      IN SPRING           IN FALL
          24 F  28  F  32 F   32 F  28 F  24 F   32 F  28 F  24 F

Aitkin       4/23  5/6    5/18   9/24  9/30  10/16  132   150   174
Brainerd     4/21  5/3    5/11   9/21  10/1  10/15  136   152   178
Cambridge    4/14  4/30   5/9    9/24  10/6  10/19  139   159   186
Cloquet      4/30  5/16   6/2    9/19  9/28  10/13  108   135   165
Forest Lake  4/11  4/22   5/3    10/5  10/17 10/28  156   175   199
Hinckley     4/21  5/6    5/19   9/22  9/28  10/12  125   148   175
Maple Plain  4/13  4/25   5/6    10/1  10/12 10/25  153   169   194
Milaca       4/18  5/1    5/12   9/25  10/3  10/19  138   155   184
MSP-Airport  4/9   4/16   4/29   10/7  10/20 11/3   161   187   209
Moose Lake   5/1   5/12   5/28   9/20  9/27  10/10  111   138   166
Mora         4/21  5/3    5/16   9/21  10/2  10/15  126   151   173
Pine River D 4/25  5/6    5/19   9/24  10/1  10/16  127   149   173
Sandy Lake D 4/23  5/4    5/15   9/24  10/2  10/20  129   153   178
Stillwater   4/9   4/16   5/1    10/7  10/18 11/2   163   185   208

Weather Headlines

* Sunday high of 57 in the Twin Cities with a trace of rain.

* Today looks significant warmer than Sunday, but the chance of bumping into a shower or thunderstorm increases later today, tonight and Tuesday.

* Windiest day of the week: probably Wednesday. Cool frontal passage whips up 30 mph+ gusts.

* Quiet, tranquil Thursday, another spirited round of showers (thunder?) Friday.

* Damp start possible Saturday, but rapid clearing expected - most of next weekend looks dry and seasonably mild.

Paul's Outlook

Monday: Sun giving way to partly cloudy skies. Slight chance of a late afternoon shower. Winds: S 5-10. High: near 70

Monday Night: Better chance of showers, possible thunder. Low: 56

Tuesday: Unsettled, more humid with a passing shower or heavier T-storm. High: 71

Wednesday: Showers taper early, turning windy and cooler. High: 68 (early), falling during the afternoon.

Thursday: Bright sun, very pleasant, a bit cooler. High: 65

Friday: More showers, risk of a storm or two. High: 67

Saturday: Damp start, then increasingly sunny. High: 63

Sunday: Probably the nicer day of the weekend (again). More sun, less wind. High: 68