Frosty nights, warmer weekend in the forecast for most of Minnesota
Fall foliage decorates the bluffs above the St. Croix River at Interstate Park in Taylors Falls, Minn. on Oct. 18.
Liam James Doyle for MPR News
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Audio transcript
NINA MOINI: Well, it's really starting to feel like late fall in Minnesota this week. Maybe you've got your heavy coat. Maybe you need some gloves when you're out on a walk. But here with me now to talk about the frosty temperatures ahead is MPR News chief meteorologist Paul Huttner. Hi, Paul.
PAUL HUTTNER: Hey, Nina. Yeah, break out the polar fleece, right?
NINA MOINI: Yeah. I had to maybe throw some gloves on yesterday when I was walking the dog, but I realized they weren't in my pocket they're always in, which is just having gloves, right? You never where they are.
PAUL HUTTNER: Yeah, exactly.
NINA MOINI: [LAUGHS] How cold is it going to get this week?
PAUL HUTTNER: This will be the coldest air mass of this fall season so far. It is a chilly Canadian breeze out there today. And we're going to see our first freeze, I think, for parts of the Twin Cities. Most of Minnesota has already seen freezing temperatures. Twin Cities, we've been as cold as 38 at the airport on October 8, so not quite in the urban core yet have we seen a freeze. But I think that will happen the next couple of nights.
We're only in the 40s today in most of Minnesota, even some 30s north. It's raining in northeast Minnesota-- I mean, barely raining. It's almost snow. And it looks like tonight, skies will clear. And that will set us up for those chilly temperatures, 20s north. And parts of western Minnesota will dip to about 32, I think, at the airport and in the inner urban Twin Cities core, more like 30, 28 in the suburbs. And we'll do that again Friday morning.
So these next two mornings, pretty good frost and freeze across most of Minnesota. There are frost advisories in effect for southeast Minnesota, which really hasn't had a frost yet. They dropped. They don't issue any more frost advisories once most of Minnesota has already had a frost, Nina.
NINA MOINI: And remind me, Paul, is this a normal time of year for the frost to begin?
PAUL HUTTNER: It is. In fact, our average date of the first 32 degree reading in fall at Twin Cities Airport is October 18. So we're just a few days past that. This is pretty typical to get a shot of air that's close to freezing into the Twin Cities.
NINA MOINI: OK, so we're looking ahead to next week. Already Halloween-- I can't believe it. What are you forecasting ahead for us?
PAUL HUTTNER: Yeah, well, the good news is, we got a little bit of nicer weather before then. The sunshine is out in western Minnesota, so I'm forecasting that clearing line to come through late today in the Twin Cities. So a sunnier forecast ahead--
NINA MOINI: Nice.
PAUL HUTTNER: --for the rest of this week, into the weekend. 52 tomorrow, 57 Friday. We're in the low 60s this weekend in the Twin Cities, with still some 50s up north. And then-- you're right-- here comes Halloween week. It looks potentially wet Monday and Tuesday, chance for some rain. 40s and 50s again, so it'll be cool. A little drier toward the middle of next week.
And then Halloween, of course, next Friday. Early indications are-- and it's still early. A lot can change this far out, but a chance of a few showers, probably light, and temperatures mostly in the 40s. Stay tuned on that, though, Nina, because this time of year, the weather forecast models can change really quickly because the jet stream is faster. And those changes can come along rapidly in late October and November. So we will watch that Halloween forecast closely.
NINA MOINI: Does that mean maybe some snowflakes? Or what are you thinking?
PAUL HUTTNER: The forecast models have been trying to pop up a storm around parts of the Midwest late next week, into the following weekend. And so far, they're not making a big deal out of it. But like I said, those little waves can become something in the long range. So think we're going to be fine, but to be watched.
NINA MOINI: All right. And Paul, what's on Climate Cast this week?
PAUL HUTTNER: Yeah, the MPCA, the Pollution Control Agency, is asking for the public to comment on their climate action framework for 2026, for next year. So we'll talk to MPCA Climate Director Kate Knuth, how folks can get involved in that process. That's Climate Cast tomorrow on All Things Considered.
NINA MOINI: That's really important. Thanks, Paul.
PAUL HUTTNER: Thanks.
NINA MOINI: That was MPR News Chief Meteorologist Paul Huttner.
PAUL HUTTNER: Hey, Nina. Yeah, break out the polar fleece, right?
NINA MOINI: Yeah. I had to maybe throw some gloves on yesterday when I was walking the dog, but I realized they weren't in my pocket they're always in, which is just having gloves, right? You never where they are.
PAUL HUTTNER: Yeah, exactly.
NINA MOINI: [LAUGHS] How cold is it going to get this week?
PAUL HUTTNER: This will be the coldest air mass of this fall season so far. It is a chilly Canadian breeze out there today. And we're going to see our first freeze, I think, for parts of the Twin Cities. Most of Minnesota has already seen freezing temperatures. Twin Cities, we've been as cold as 38 at the airport on October 8, so not quite in the urban core yet have we seen a freeze. But I think that will happen the next couple of nights.
We're only in the 40s today in most of Minnesota, even some 30s north. It's raining in northeast Minnesota-- I mean, barely raining. It's almost snow. And it looks like tonight, skies will clear. And that will set us up for those chilly temperatures, 20s north. And parts of western Minnesota will dip to about 32, I think, at the airport and in the inner urban Twin Cities core, more like 30, 28 in the suburbs. And we'll do that again Friday morning.
So these next two mornings, pretty good frost and freeze across most of Minnesota. There are frost advisories in effect for southeast Minnesota, which really hasn't had a frost yet. They dropped. They don't issue any more frost advisories once most of Minnesota has already had a frost, Nina.
NINA MOINI: And remind me, Paul, is this a normal time of year for the frost to begin?
PAUL HUTTNER: It is. In fact, our average date of the first 32 degree reading in fall at Twin Cities Airport is October 18. So we're just a few days past that. This is pretty typical to get a shot of air that's close to freezing into the Twin Cities.
NINA MOINI: OK, so we're looking ahead to next week. Already Halloween-- I can't believe it. What are you forecasting ahead for us?
PAUL HUTTNER: Yeah, well, the good news is, we got a little bit of nicer weather before then. The sunshine is out in western Minnesota, so I'm forecasting that clearing line to come through late today in the Twin Cities. So a sunnier forecast ahead--
NINA MOINI: Nice.
PAUL HUTTNER: --for the rest of this week, into the weekend. 52 tomorrow, 57 Friday. We're in the low 60s this weekend in the Twin Cities, with still some 50s up north. And then-- you're right-- here comes Halloween week. It looks potentially wet Monday and Tuesday, chance for some rain. 40s and 50s again, so it'll be cool. A little drier toward the middle of next week.
And then Halloween, of course, next Friday. Early indications are-- and it's still early. A lot can change this far out, but a chance of a few showers, probably light, and temperatures mostly in the 40s. Stay tuned on that, though, Nina, because this time of year, the weather forecast models can change really quickly because the jet stream is faster. And those changes can come along rapidly in late October and November. So we will watch that Halloween forecast closely.
NINA MOINI: Does that mean maybe some snowflakes? Or what are you thinking?
PAUL HUTTNER: The forecast models have been trying to pop up a storm around parts of the Midwest late next week, into the following weekend. And so far, they're not making a big deal out of it. But like I said, those little waves can become something in the long range. So think we're going to be fine, but to be watched.
NINA MOINI: All right. And Paul, what's on Climate Cast this week?
PAUL HUTTNER: Yeah, the MPCA, the Pollution Control Agency, is asking for the public to comment on their climate action framework for 2026, for next year. So we'll talk to MPCA Climate Director Kate Knuth, how folks can get involved in that process. That's Climate Cast tomorrow on All Things Considered.
NINA MOINI: That's really important. Thanks, Paul.
PAUL HUTTNER: Thanks.
NINA MOINI: That was MPR News Chief Meteorologist Paul Huttner.
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