MN Weather: First snow of the season in the Twin Cities metro area

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – The first snowflakes of the season arrived for some in the Twin Cities metro on Halloween.

Snow is falling in the Twin Cities metro area

Snow will fall in areas of the Twin Cities metropolitan area and central Minnesota on Thursday, making for a wet and slushy Halloween for some. A winter weather warning is in effect for part of the day due to the potential for heavy snowfall, which could lead to poor visibility and make travel difficult at times.

As temperatures slowly continue to drop, the rain will mix with the snow, resulting in white flakes being seen across southeastern and central Minnesota. While for some the snow accumulates on grassy areas, for others it becomes more of a slushy mess. Some have reported fallen branches from the heavy snowfall.

There are many factors that counteract extensive snow accumulation, such as: Examples include very warm ground, temperatures likely to remain above freezing, and heavy rain ahead, to name a few.

However, it is likely that there will be patchy areas on grassy and colder surfaces where 1 to 3 inches (2.5 to 7.5 cm) of mud will develop. However, over short distances, the totals are likely to vary drastically.

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Snow buzzes

Snow totals through 11 a.m. indicate that areas west of the metro, such as Dassel, have received at least 2.5 inches of snow.

Meanwhile, an inch of snow fell in Maple Plain in Hennepin County.

Areas in southwestern Minnesota, such as the town of Windom, received 2.4 inches of snow Thursday morning.

Hinckley in Pine County received an inch of snow.

“These totals are instantaneous as temperatures are above freezing. Once the snow turns into snow showers or slows down, it's actively melting and will condense and disappear pretty quickly,” explains FOX 9 meteorologist Cody Matz.

When is the typical first measurable snowfall in the Twin Cities?

This rain and snow mix is ​​coming at just the right time.

The average first measurable snowfall in the Twin Cities is Nov. 5, according to the 30-year average. The graphic above shows the first measurable snow in recent years, with measurable snow first occurring on October 30th last year and on April 30th in 2022.

History of Halloween Snow

The first measurable snowfall usually falls in early November, which is why it has certainly snowed in the Twin Cities on Halloween.

The most notable snowfall was the Halloween Blizzard of 1991, when 8.2 inches of snow fell on the holiday itself and a whopping 28 inches fell over a three-day period. This remains the largest snowstorm in Twin Cities history.

Since 1872, measurable snow has only been recorded seven times in the Twin Cities on Halloween, which is actually lucky considering that the first measurable snow often falls just a few days after the holiday each year. This year probably seems more unusual because it's been so warm lately, but our short memories may forget that we had measurable snow on Halloween last year.

In fact, 2023 was the second snowiest Halloween on record. Snow is clearly not ideal for trick-or-treating festivities, but rain can arguably be worse from a celebratory and costume perspective. There were approximately 30 other years that recorded rainfall on Halloween.