A scary Halloween forecast: After incoming snow, trick-or-treaters should bundle up on Tuesday

Molly Guthrey, Pioneer Press
Updated ·3 min read

Over the weekend, as shoppers waited in a checkout line at Target in West St. Paul, talk turned to the weather.

A shopper who identified himself as new to Minnesota asked if anyone had been around for that storm in 1991.

You know the one, right?

Halloween on Tuesday will share a couple of the characteristics of the infamous Halloween blizzard of 1991 that many Minnesotans — including those in line at Target on Saturday — never seem to tire of talking about, especially this time of year.

“Unfortunately, it will be one of our colder Halloweens,” says Brent Hewett, a meteorologist with the Twin Cities office of the National Weather Service. “Temperatures will be falling into the upper 20s by sunset, which means it’s probably a good idea to bring the warmer costumes out.”

Yes, kids, you will need to layer up this year — in part because of the incoming snow, the season’s measurable first.

“We’re expecting a pretty quick clipper tonight,” Hewett said early Monday.

The evening snowstorm was expected to deposit 1 to 2 inches in the Twin Cities metro area by Tuesday morning.

On X, formerly known as Twitter, not everyone was excited about the snowy forecast.

“I object,” one commenter wrote.

“Unsubscribe,” joked another.

“Aren’t we lucky?” asked a third.

Joking aside, the weather service let commenters know about a cool feature to keep track of the chill:

“Want to know when the snow will start at your house? Check our hourly forecast here: http://weather.gov/forecastpoints”

Early Tuesday, the south metro looked the scariest for commuters, with 2.5 inches of the white stuff reportedly falling overnight in Burnsville. Throughout the metro, the NWS urged people to proceed slowly amid the spinouts spotted on traffic cameras:

“Expect a slow & snowy commute this morning with icy spots on untreated roads,” the weather service wrote on X. “Allow extra time for your commute this morning, take it slow, & leave plenty of space to brake on the roads.”

While Halloween is starting out breezy, the winds are expected to calm by the time the sun sets at 6:02 p.m. Tuesday.

Despite the lack of a winter-like wind, it will still be plenty cold.

“With wind-chill values in the lower 20s and air temperatures in the upper 20s, it will feel more like December than October,” Hewett says.

It doesn’t look like we’ll break any records on Halloween, though.

“The coldest high, way back in 1873, was only 26,” Hewett says.

Tuesday’s high is expected to reach between 30 and 35 degrees, according to the weather service, but that will be before sundown.

At least this year’s trick-or-treaters won’t have to deal with falling snow.

“It will be dry,” Hewett says. “That’s one positive.”

In West St. Paul, trick-or-treaters can stop off at Harmon Park, located at 230 Bernard St. W., to warm up at the annual Halloween bonfire. The event, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, will also include treats at the Harmon Park Neighborhood Center. Information is on the city’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/cityofwsp.

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