Wintry mix spreads across Minnesota

MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all. 

Turn Up Your Support

Friday and Saturday may be the best days of the year for fall color in the Twin Cities and much of southern Minnesota. The combination of bright blue skies, pleasantly mild temperatures and vibrant fall colors will make for delightful viewing. 

Our annual fall color peak is coming about a week later than average in the Twin Cities and southern Minnesota. 

Check out the maps at the top of this post. You can see how the Twin Cities is at about 50-75 percent color as of Thursday. The past two years, on this day of the year, color levels were around 75 to 100 percent. 

Our elongated summer weather is the most likely reason for the later fall color show this year. These are the effects of a Des Moines, Iowa-style summer. 

The typical fall color peak in the Twin Cities and most of southern Minnesota is between late September and mid-October. 

Friday will be one of those days you may find it difficult to focus on anything work-related. Or maybe just anything. 

A lukewarm late October sun, bright blue skies, and lighter winds will make for a perfect day. Highs will reach the 70s in western Minnesota, maybe even as far east as the far western Twin Cities. Most of Minnesota will see pleasant temperatures in the 60s in the afternoon hours. 

A few showers will roll through northeast Minnesota Friday night into early Saturday. 

Saturday brings brisk northwest winds and highs generally in the 40s and 50s with a few 60s southwest. 

Sunday looks splendid. Mixed sun, lighter winds, and highs in the 50s will be common. 

Thursday’s forecast model runs favor mostly rain for Minnesota with possible weather systems next week. There were a few hints of snow in a few model runs this week. 

We’ll have to keep an eye on things, but we’re breathing easier on the notion of heavy snow for much of Minnesota late next week.

There are signs of a frigid air mass diving south into Minnesota for the last weekend of October. Early forecast signals suggest the first subfreezing temperatures of the fall for the Twin Cities. 

The growing season has already ended for most of Minnesota. It could end for most of the Twin Cities late next week. 

The early forecast read on Halloween looks chilly, with highs favoring the 30s.

Weather and Climate News

Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Paul Huttner

Author

Our extended summer weather has delayed the annual fall color peak in the Twin Cities this year. 

Update: Fall color peaking later than average in the Twin Cities

Go Deeper.

Like this?

News you can use in your inbox