When is the first average snowfall in the Twin Cities?

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Published October 14, 2026 8:56 AM CDT

Snow in Litchfield on Halloween.  (Laurie Terning / Supplied)

The Brief

    • For many in the Midwest, the first snowfall of the season could be coming soon.
    • Average first snowfalls usually land in late October and early November in the Twin Cities.
    • Some first snowfalls of the season have begun as early as September.

(FOX 9) - Fall might have just begun, but snow is just around the corner for many areas in the Midwest. Just when you might see your first snowflakes and measurable snowfall depends on where in the Midwest you live. 

Here's when the Twin Cities saw its first average snowfall in past years, to give you an idea of when we could see snow for the first time this year. 

RELATED: When is the first average snowfall across the Midwest?

Twin Cities' snowfall averages and records

What we know:

The average date for first measurable snowfall in the Twin Cities, according to the 30-year average, is Nov. 5. 

In the year's past, measurable snowfall has come around this average date, with some outliers:

  • 2025: Nov. 25
  • 2024: Oct. 31
  • 2023: Oct. 30
  • 2022: Oct. 14
  • 2021: Nov. 13
  • 2020: Oct. 16

The median first snowfall of an inch or greater, based on records from 1884 to 2023, is Nov. 15. 

The earliest 1 inch or greater snowfall on record, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, is Sept. 26, 1942, and the latest is Jan. 21, 2005. 

Minneapolis receives an average of 51 inches of snow every season. The snowiest winters on record for the Twin Cities are: 

  1. 1983 to 1984: 98.6 inches of snow
  2. 1981 to 1982: 95 inches of snow
  3. 2022 to 2023: 89.7 inches of snow
  4. 1950 to 1951: 88.9 inches of snow
  5. 2010 to 2011: 86.6 inches of snow

The Source: Information for this article comes from the National Weather Service, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and previous Fox Television Stations reporting. This story was reported from Eden Prairie, Minnesota. 

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