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Record warmth through Tuesday. Halloween snow chance emerging?

Some forecast models suggest our record warmth could give way to snow by Halloween

The late summer and fall of 2024 is the warm weather gift that keeps on giving.

Another wave of record warmth blew into Minnesota on Monday. As of this post time, we’ve hit 75 degrees at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. That ties the record high for this date set in 1948.

We’ll likely rewrite the record books again Tuesday. Highs will push into the low 80s across southern Minnesota. But cooler air is already gathering up north Tuesday.

Temperatures Monday afternoon
Temperatures Monday afternoon. The normal high in the Twin Cities Monday is 52 degrees.
Oklahoma Mesonet

The record high Tuesday at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport is 78 degrees set in 1922. We’ll likely break it.

Wednesday brings a transitional day with scattered rain and a few thunderstorms. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Storm Prediction Center is laying out a marginal (low) risk for a possible severe thunderstorm Tuesday.

Forecast high temperatures Tuesday
Forecast high temperatures Tuesday
NOAA

Halloween snow chance?

The Halloween forecast still falls under the category of definitely maybe.

Forecast models have shifted dramatically wetter and colder over the weekend for Halloween. But the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts model run Monday afternoon is throwing us a possibly snowy curve ball.

Monday’s latest European model run is cold enough to change rain to potentially heavy wet snowfall across eastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin on Thursday.

European model (ECMWF)
Forecast for 7 p.m. Thursday
European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, via Pivotal Weather

Monday’s European model cranks out the possibility of heavy snowfall totals too close to home by Thursday night.

European model (ECMWF) snowfall output
Snowfall forecast output on Halloween
European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, via Pivotal Weather

Keep in mind this is just one model run. But it is the European model, which is statistically the best weather forecast model on earth. NOAA’s Global Forecast System also hints at a rainy, snowy mix.

It’s still too early to buy into the notion of heavy snow close to home on Halloween. But it’s getting our attention. Let’s see what Tuesday’s forecast model runs bring.

Stay tuned.