When Does it Start Snowing in Minnesota & When Does it Stop? (2023)
Are you wondering when does it start snowing in Minnesota and when should you expect winter to show up?
Minnesota is very well known for having cold and long winters, but sometimes it’s tough to understand when those winters actually start.
After all, some people think that Minnesota is snowy all year-round when in reality, it’s not!
Whether you’re a first-time visitor, are planning to move here, or are just curious about our seasons, it’s good to know this information.
I’m a Minnesota native and have had more than my fair share of winters in Minnesota since I’ve lived here since I was born.
So, in this post, I want to share my knowledge on the snowy season in Minnesota and when you can expect to see snow.
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When Does it Start Snowing in Minnesota?
While we can take an estimated guess for when it will start to drop snow here, there is no official answer on when the snowy season starts.
We see a lot of snow throughout our winters, and typically, we can expect to see it start snowing in Minnesota between October and November.
Winter usually runs from November through April, and this is when we’ll get the bulk of our snow.
However, snow typically starts to fly in mid-October with a few days where there’s just a dusting and it melts within a few hours.
There have been many years when I was forced to wear a winter jacket over my costume because it was snowing on Halloween. (C’mon, Mom!)
This snow in October usually doesn’t stick, and the real snow comes a bit later in the year- usually sometime around Thanksgiving.
There have also been years where snow doesn’t start to stick until later into December, and we sometimes have to worry whether or not we’ll have a White Christmas!
So as I said, although there’s no official start time to when we’ll see snow, you should start planning for a Minnesota winter starting in mid-October.
With this information, you’ll be able to pack and dress appropriately for your visit to Minnesota and have a blast here, even in our cold climate.
What Months Does it Snow in Minnesota?
Minnesota is very well known for having snowy seasons, but you might wonder what months it snows here.
The months that it snows here vary based on the seasons, but we typically get snow in the months of October, November, December, January, February, March, and April.
Occasionally, we might see snow into May, but this is something that I and all of my fellow Minnesotans hope to avoid.
Most of our snow falls between December and March, so in any of the other months, you can expect minimal snowfall.
And sometimes it doesn’t even snow in October, so we can cut that month off entirely! So the answer to the question when does it snow in Minnesota all depends on the year.
What Months Has it Snowed in Minnesota?
Although this usually doesn’t happen, we have seen snow during every single month in Minnesota, except for July.
This means that it snowed in summer months like June and August, as well as during the fall month of September.
Fortunately, this very rarely happens and we can expect to see it start snowing in Minnesota in October or November.
Does it Snow in Minnesota in October?
Whether or not it snows in Minnesota in October really depends on the year, because there have been years where it does and years where it doesn’t.
If we do see snow in October, it will almost always be later in the month, typically towards late October.
The snow that we get also usually doesn’t last for very long and typically melts within just a day, or sometimes even a few hours.
As I mentioned above, I remember many Halloweens as a kid where it snowed, and trick-or-treating almost got canceled!
So if you’re asking when will it snow in Minnesota and wonder if it’ll be snowing in October, it’s unlikely.
Does it Snow in Minnesota in November?
Yes, it typically does snow in Minnesota in November, and you can expect to start seeing it anytime during this month.
So if you’re asking yourself when does it start snowing in Minnesota, the most likely answer is November.
This is when snow starts to stick to the ground since the average temperatures are actually cold, and we aren’t seeing days above 50 degrees F anymore.
Most Thanksgivings that I remember have had snow on the ground, although there have been a couple where
What is the Earliest Snow in Minnesota?
It’s typically mid-October when we start to see flurries flying in the air.
But this snow usually doesn’t last for very long, and we can expect it to likely melt within a few hours or days.
The earliest snowfall on record in Minnesota was back in 1949 when a small bit of snow fell near the Duluth International Airport on August 31st.
It wasn’t a lot, and it didn’t stick around, but it’s still shocking to know that there was snow at one point in August!
When Does it Stop Snowing in Minnesota?
Since our Minnesota winters typically take place from November until April, we can see that the answer to the question when does it start snowing in Minnesota and when does it stop, is April.
This is the usual time for it to stop snowing here, but it also isn’t always as simple as that.
Because Minnesota is such an unpredictable state, sometimes snow can go a bit further into spring than that.
There have been late season storms in certain years where there is snow during the month of May as well.
It doesn’t happen every year and typically the snow only lasts for a few hours or days, but snowfall can happen in May.
But in general, we can say that snow typically stops falling in Minnesota by late April.
How Long Does Snow Last in Minnesota?
Winters in Minnesota are very long and they can be pretty tough to prepare for if you aren’t ready for them.
Snow starts to melt around mid-April, and you can tend to expect almost all of the snow to be gone by mid-May.
Since we know that it usually starts to snow in November, and it stops in April, the snow in Minnesota lasts around 6 months.
Sometimes it can be a bit longer, and other times winter can be much shorter, but it all depends on the year.
How Much Snow Falls in Minnesota on Average?
Minnesota gets a whole lot of snow throughout the year, so you might be wondering how much we get on average.
Depending on where you’re at in the state, the amount of snowfall that we get can vary greatly.
If you’re down in Minneapolis and St. Paul, known as the Twin Cities, you’ll likely see close to around 50 to 60 inches in one year, whereas Duluth can see upwards of 100 or more.
In fact, in 2023, Duluth had the snowiest year yet, reaching about 137 inches of snow in one winter season.
Most places have snow at least 15 days per month during the winter months, with some having closer to 25 days per month.
Although we do get this much snow, it doesn’t even make up for 1/4 of the precipitation that we get each year.
Does it Snow All Year in Minnesota?
Many people might think that it snows all year in Minnesota since we’re often seen as part of Canada, or basically the tundra!
But in reality, Minnesota has amazing summers that take place between the months of June and August.
We rarely see snow between June and September, although there have been a few cases of late or early snowfall.
Luckily, we Minnesotans don’t have to deal with these weather conditions all year long, but only about half of the year!
FAQs
It’s tough to tell if Minnesota will have an early winter, but you can sometimes read predictions about the season from the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
The earliest winter in Minnesota was back in 1949 when it snowed at the Duluth Airport on August 31st. This wasn’t technically winter, but just the earliest snow to ever fall.
Winter usually starts in Minnesota around the month of November, since this is when it usually starts to snow and average temperatures begin to drop.
Yes, Minnesota often gets snow in October. It typically falls later in the month, but there have been many Halloweens with snow on the ground.
No, there has never been a winter entirely without snow in Minnesota. But, the 1877 to 1878 winter season saw very minimal snow and abnormally warm temperatures, and has been dubbed the ‘Year Without a Winter.’
It’s rare that Minnesota has snow in September. Typically around this time, it’s still too warm and there isn’t any snow in September.
No, it has snowed every month except for July in Minnesota. This means that it has snowed 11 out of 12 months in a year!
It very rarely snows in Minnesota in June, although we have seen it! More often than snow, we will have an overnight frost where farmers and gardeners must cover their crops.
Wrap-Up: When Does it Start Snowing in Minnesota?
You may be wondering, when does it start snowing in Minnesota, which is a very valid question since we have such intense winters here.
Snow usually starts to fall in November and lasts until April, but this really varies by the year, and we may even see snow as early as October!
All in all, Minnesota does have long, cold winters, and it’s very important to be prepared for them.