Heavy snow and difficult travel expected again, heaviest snow in southern Minnesota

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The coldest air of the season arrives right on cue for Minnesota’s deer season opener this weekend. Hunters can expect a true November chill with frosty mornings across the state and a shot of slushy snow possible in the southwest. 

Warm blaze orange needed for chilly temps

Another deer opener is upon us and in true Minnesota fashion it will be chilly with a chance for snow in the southwest. 

An Alberta clipper will pass just south of the area on Saturday, bringing the possibility of minor, slushy snow accumulations to southwestern Minnesota, areas south of the Minnesota River Valley and along Interstate 90.

Saturday’s temperatures will begin in the upper teens to low 20s across northern Minnesota and in the upper 20s to around 30 degrees in the south, warming later in the day to the upper 20s north and mid-30s south. 

Winds will be out of the north at around 10 mph in eastern Minnesota, while western Minnesota will see breezier conditions with winds around 15 to 20 mph.

By early Sunday morning, wind chill values will drop into the single digits and teens, accompanied by a brisk northwest wind of 10 to 20 mph.

Sunday’s high temperatures will struggle to rise above freezing across the state as a cold Canadian air mass moves in behind the clipper.

Overall, Sunday appears dry, just chilly, with those breezy northwest winds and cooler temperatures, perfect weather to test your layers and patience in the stand.

Looking back, the 2024 opener on Saturday, Nov. 9 was a relatively mild one. Temperatures climbed into the 50s across much of the state and light rain dampened parts of the southeast. 

Conditions were a bit warmer than normal for early November. Typical morning lows usually dip into the 20s and low 30s, which means most hunters are stepping out into a chilly start. 

There’s about a 25 percent historical chance of measurable precipitation during the first week of November. In northern areas, that often means snow, while southern Minnesota is more likely to see rain. 

Weather on the opener can vary dramatically from year to year. In 2019, hunters experienced a sharp shift, a mild start that quickly turned wintry. Light snow fell across northern Minnesota, and by Sunday temperatures had plunged into the teens and even single digits. 

The last significant snowfall during the opener came in 2017, when International Falls picked up 6 inches of snow.

Weather and Climate News

Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Mandy Thalhuber

Author

The coldest air of the season arrives right on cue for Minnesota’s deer opener this weekend. Hunters can expect a true November chill with frosty mornings across the state and a shot of slushy snow possible in the southwest. 

Anthony Stenzel walks through thick brush.

Jackson Forderer for MPR News 2015

Snowfall potential through Monday 6 a.m. 

National Weather Service

NOAA via Pivotal Weather

Blake Legred, 14, climbs down from his deer stand.

Locked, loaded and layered: What to expect for Minnesota's deer opener

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