Cold front drops Fergus Falls to 28, weekend stays chilly

A 28-degree morning in Fergus Falls pushed gardeners back to the frost line and gave commuters, farmers and anyone counting on spring a hard reminder that winter was not done yet. The sharp drop came as a strong cold front swept through Minnesota on Friday, with colder air quickly following behind it across Otter Tail County.

National Weather Service forecasters said the front was generally along the I-35 corridor by 1 p.m. Friday, and the temperature at Jackson fell 22 degrees in just 41 minutes, a sign of how fast the air changed. The same system brought showers and thunderstorms as it moved east, with the severe-weather threat shifting mainly into western Wisconsin later in the day.

For Fergus Falls, the bigger story was the cold air spilling in behind the front. Forecasters said morning lows would fall below freezing through the weekend, with highs mostly stuck in the 40s. The National Weather Service also said there was a chance of a few non-accumulating flurries or a wintry mix as the colder air arrived, a brief but jarring return to late-winter conditions in the middle of April.

The timing landed in the middle of Severe Weather Awareness Week in Minnesota, which ran April 13-17. Tornado watch and warning drills were scheduled for Thursday, April 16, at 1:45 p.m. and 6:45 p.m., keeping weather safety in focus just as the front rolled through the state. The Minnesota Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and National Weather Service offices had urged people across the state to pay attention as spring weather turned volatile.

In Fergus Falls, the weekend forecast called for a low around 25 degrees Saturday night and a high near 47 on Sunday, with blustery northwest winds holding down the warmth. The cold snap was expected to ease early next week, with temperatures rebounding into the 60s, but not before a freeze warning for gardens, a chill for farm work and a few more cold mornings across Otter Tail County.