In that most Minnesotan of traditions, the mantra on Halloween last Thursday was “it’s not as bad as the 1991 Halloween blizzard.” Despite that dismissal, the Mississippi River Valley disappeared into white as rain turned to sleet turned to snow. It was the first showing for those shaggy figures of snow-laden cars that Minnesotans know all too well.
While indeed that wisdom was sound that that the 2024 Halloween Blizzard doesn’t hold a candle to its 1991 predecessor, that didn’t stop the state from issuing a winter weather advisory in the Twin Cities Metro Area until 4 p.m. that day, as traffic slowed to a crawl in thoroughfares across the metro. According to the Minnesota Department of Transportation, the storm system caused more than 200 spin outs and crashes across the state due to low visibility and poor conditions.
The system dropped 1.26 inches of precipitation, a metric that stands out especially when compared to the 1991 Halloween blizzard. Despite the 1991 storm’s impact, which dumped some 28 inches of snow over the Twin Cities, only 0.85 inches of liquid precipitation fell, which makes the 2024 Halloween Blizzard the wettest Halloween on record.
“The 1.26 inches of precipitation measured at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport was the largest reported on any Halloween in over 150 years of record,” said Senior Climatologist at the Minnesota State Climatology Office, Kenny Blumenfeld in the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ Climate Journal.
That inch of rain and sleet was enough, however, to crush the candy-filled dreams of so many trick-or-treaters. Despite the weather, many residents did brave the cold and wet to march house to house, often with a few extra layers underneath.
What is especially striking about the blizzard, if it can indeed be called that, is that it was preceded by temperatures in the upper 70s just days before, far above typical averages in October which generally sit in the 40s and 50s. The storm was a reminder that the warm weather did indeed have to come to an end, and that last year’s anomalous winter, bereft of the snow and cold for which Minnesota is known, was temporary. While much of the snow was gone in the following days, some communities received up to 4.5 inches of snow, according to Blumenfeld.
According to Climate Journal evening temperatures on Oct. 29, 2024 in the Twin Cities were as high as 77 degrees. That high nearly broke the current record for highs on Oct. 29 of 80 degrees, which has only occurred in Minnesota’s recorded history twice.