Winter arrives in Minnesota next week with rain and potential snow

Minnesota could see the first winter storm of the season next week following an unusually warm fall.

The weather will decidedly shift into winter next week, with a storm system moving into Minnesota and Wisconsin Tuesday, said National Weather Service Twin Cities meteorologist Brent Hewett. The storm system will bring rain, possibly heavy, with temperatures in the 40s, he said.

Those farther north or west with lower temperatures could see some snow from that storm system. In the Twin Cities metro area, the weather will likely stick to rain, he said.

“Behind that system, there’s still a pretty good amount of uncertainty, but we’ll definitely see a shift towards cooler temperatures, with highs in the 30s and lows in the 20s,” Hewett said.

We are still a week away, but those temperatures could bring snow or ice, Hewett said.

Now is a good time to prepare for cold weather, especially since people may be out of practice following last year’s warm winter, he said. Make those snow tire appointments and add your winter safety gear back into your vehicle, including extra coats, flashlights and a small snow shovel, he said.

“If there’s any remaining outdoors stuff you need to tackle, tackle it this weekend when it’s in the 50s,” Hewett said.