The Twin Cities metro hit 65 degrees on Monday, breaking a high temperature record of 64 set in 1896, but don’t break out the lawn furniture yet: a vicious cold snap is bringing in freezing temperatures and snow on Tuesday, meteorologists say.

A cold front is expected to plunge the metro area into single digits within 24 hours of the record-breaking warmth, according to Eric Ahasic, meteorologist with the National Weather Service Twin Cities office.

“The crazy temperature swing is pretty wild,” he said. The old saying, “If you don’t like the weather now, just wait a few minutes,” has never been more poignant in Minnesota than it will be this week.

As mercury soared throughout the state on Monday, a cold front was creeping in right behind it.

While much of the state logged low to mid 60s, southeast portions reached the 70s Monday, with Austin garnering the highest temperature in the state with 72 degrees.

Up north, temperatures were mostly in the 50s, but highs in the far northwest were a harbinger of what’s to come with the mercury hovering in the 30s.

That cold front is moving this way and will surge into the metro area by noon.

Rush hour snow

Tuesday morning temperatures will start in the 40s in Minneapolis and St. Paul and continue to drop until Tuesday night, when the mercury will fall to single digits by midnight, Ahasic said.

“Twenty-four hours from now, it will plummet into the 20s with windchills close to zero (accompanied by) a quick burst of light snow” during rush hour, he said Monday afternoon.

Because the snowfall is expected at the same time as the rapid drop in temperatures, he warned about a potentially slick and icy commute for drivers on Tuesday night.

The combination could cause a potential flash freeze, making any moisture lock up and freeze on the roads, Ahasic said.

The metro shouldn’t see more than an inch of snow at the most, he said, noting that the cold won’t linger long.

“As you can expect in Minnesota this time of year, it’s going to be a pretty short-lived cold snap,” he said.

By Wednesday, warmer winds from the south will bring higher temperatures and the Twin Cities might see 50s again by Friday and possibly record-breaking 60s over the weekend.

The normal highs for this time of year are about 35 degrees.

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