Minnesota weather: This Halloween was the wettest on record in Twin Cities

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - This Halloween marked the first snow of the season, and set the record for the wettest Oct. 31 in the Twin Cities. 

Setting a record

According to the National Weather Service (NWS), the 1.26 inches of rain and snow that fell Thursday surpassed the 0.85 inches of liquid that accumulated on Halloween in 1991, making Thursday the wettest Halloween on record for the Twin Cities. 

Snow fell in the Twin Cities metro and cental Minnesota Thursday, which led to a damp and slushy Halloween. 

The snow caused thousands of Minnesotans to be without power, including at least two schools. Wayzata High School had to release its students early due to the power being out. Champlin Park High School also was without power Thursday. 

The wettest Halloween comes after the warmest September and October on record, with the average temperature from Sept. 1-Oct. 31 being 63.8 degrees. 

Snow totals 

While the slushy, wet snow didn't stick around in most places, some parts of Minnesota got up to about 4 inches of snow. Here's a look at some snow totals from around the area: 

• Plymouth: 4.3 inches
• Monticello: 4.3 inches
• Sandstone: 4.3 inches
• Winthrop: 4 inches
• Mound: 2.8 inches
• Bethel: 1.5 inches
• Elko New Market: 1 inch

History of Halloween snow 

The first measurable snowfall typically happens around the start of November, which is why the Twin Cities has certainly seen snow on Halloween before.

The most notable snowfall was the 1991 Halloween Blizzard, when 8.2 inches of snow fell on the holiday itself, and a whopping 28 inches fell over a three-day span. This remains the largest snow storm in Twin Cities history.

Measurable snow has been recorded just seven times on Halloween since 1872 in the Twin Cities, which is actually quite lucky considering the first measurable snow each year is often within a few days of the holiday. It probably seems more unusual this year because of how warm it's been as of late, but our short memories may forget that we had measurable snow on Halloween just last year. 

In fact, 2023 was the second-snowiest Halloween on record. Snow clearly isn't ideal for trick-or-treat festivities, but rain may arguably be worse from a celebratory and costume standpoint. There have been roughly 30 other years that have recorded rainfall on Halloween.