Chilly start to the week; Snow update for Mon. evening into Tue. morning
Fall color update for leaf-peepers
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We enjoyed plenty of Sunday sunshine, but temperatures were well below normal for late October.
The Sunday high temp at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport was 39 degrees. That’s well below the average Oct. 29 Twin Cities high of 51 degrees.
Most of Minnesota and western Wisconsin saw Sunday highs in the 30s, with a few spots touching 40. Parts of far northern Minnesota were in the 20s.
Freeze warning Sunday night
Low temperature Sunday night into early Monday will be in the 20s across most of Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Parts of northern Minnesota will dip into the teens.
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Portions of southeastern Minnesota closest to the Mississippi River will see a hard freeze for the first time this autumn Sunday night. A freeze warning has been posted for Sunday night into early Monday for the blue-shaded counties of southeastern Minnesota and southwestern Wisconsin:
Here are details of the freeze warning:
URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service La Crosse WI 234 PM CDT Sun Oct 29 2023 IAZ011-030-MNZ079-088-096-WIZ032-033-041-053>055-061-301300- /O.CON.KARX.FZ.W.0002.231030T0100Z-231030T1300Z/ Allamakee-Clayton-Wabasha-Winona-Houston-Buffalo-Trempealeau- La Crosse-Vernon-Crawford-Richland-Grant- Including the cities of Waukon, Elkader, Wabasha, Winona, Caledonia, Alma, Arcadia, Whitehall, La Crosse, Viroqua, Prairie Du Chien, Richland Center, and Platteville 234 PM CDT Sun Oct 29 2023 ...FREEZE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 8 PM THIS EVENING TO 8 AM CDT MONDAY... * WHAT...Sub-freezing temperatures as low as 23 expected. * WHERE...Portions of northeast Iowa, southeast Minnesota and southwest and west central Wisconsin. * WHEN...From 8 PM this evening to 8 AM CDT Monday. * IMPACTS...Frost and freeze conditions will kill crops, other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold. To prevent freezing and possible bursting of outdoor water pipes they should be wrapped, drained, or allowed to drip slowly. Those that have in-ground sprinkler systems should drain them and cover above- ground pipes to protect them from freezing.
Temperature trends
Monday highs will be mainly in the 30s:
Parts of far northern Minnesota will see upper 20s.
Tuesday high temps will also be mainly in the 30s, with a few 20s in the far north:
Temperatures will dip into the 20s in many areas during trick-or-treat time Tuesday evening:
Twin Cities metro area highs are projected to be around 40 degrees on Wednesday, followed by lower 40s Thursday and upper 40s on Friday.
Snow chances
A low pressure system is expected to spread snow into northwestern Minnesota Monday morning, then the snow coverage expands to cover more of northern Minnesota Monday afternoon. Periods of snow are expected across much of Minnesota and western Wisconsin Monday evening into early Tuesday.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s North American Mesoscale forecast model shows the potential precipitation pattern from 11 a.m. Monday to 9 a.m. Tuesday:
Snow totals of 1 to 2 inches are possible by Tuesday morning in parts of northern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin:
Snow totals elsewhere in Minnesota and in west-central Wisconsin are expected to be generally less than one inch. Check forecast updates.
You can hear updated weather information for Minnesota and western Wisconsin on the MPR News network. Also check out the MPR News display of National Weather Service radar.
Fall colors
Most of Minnesota is past peak for fall colors, but there are still a few pockets of good to excellent fall color.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources fall color report for Minnesota State Parks and Trails looks like this:
When you look at the fall color map, keep in mind that all deciduous trees are included, not just maples.
The Wisconsin fall color report can be found here.
Programming note
You can hear my live weather updates on MPR News at 7:35 a.m., 9:35 a.m. and 4:39 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday.