Weather Blog for Duluth and the Northland

4:26 PM Friday, September 30, 2022

Days continue to get shorter, and we typically see the first snows of the season in October, but we can also still get some real nice weather.

October Climate Normals and Records for Duluth, Minnesota Normal high on the 1st: 60 Normal high on the 31st: 45 Normal low on the 1st: 41 Normal low on the 31st: 30 Average monthly temperature: 44.2 degrees Warmest October on record: 55.9 degrees set in 1963 Coldest October on record: 33.5 degrees set in 1917 Average number of days with a high of 70 or warmer: 2 Average number of days with a low of 32 or colder: 11 Normal precipitation: 2.91″ Wettest October on record: 7.53″ set in 1949 Driest October on record: 0.09″ set in 1895 Normal snowfall: 2.7″ Snowiest October on record: 14.0″ set in 1933 Mean date for first measurable snowfall (0.1″) October 24 Note: Last year’s first 0.1″ snowfall in Duluth occurred on November 1 Astronomical Data for Duluth, Minnesota for October Sunrise on the 1st: 7:08 AM CDT Sunrise on the 31st: 7:49 AM CDT Sunset on the 1st: 6:48 PM CDT Sunset on the 31st: 5:54 PM CDT Note: Sunset times occur before 6 PM starting October 28.

Date of first 0.1″ or greater snowfall total at Duluth, Minnesota (2017-2021)

2021: November 1 (0.5″ snowfall)
2020: October 17 (1.9″ snowfall)
2019: October 11 (0.1″ snowfall)
2018: October 10 (0.1″ snowfall)
2017: October 27 (10.6″ snowfall)

Top 5 snowiest Octobers on record at Duluth, Minnesota

1 — 14.0″ set in 1933
2 — 12.0″ set in 2020
3 — 11.5″ set in 1925
4 — 11.1″ set in 2017
5 — 9.7″ set in 1995

Northwest flow aloft looks to dominate the month of October across the upper Midwest with upper level ridging off to the west and troughing farther to the east. Will likely see some fluctuations to this pattern throughout the month of October with the trough possibly setting up farther west from time to time, while the ridge possibly sets up farther to the east.

October is looking warmer than average across northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin, but don’t panic cold weather lovers because will likely see some shots of chilly fall air from time to time, but the warmth looks to dominate.

Last 10 CFS model runs — Temperature anomaly for October 2022.

Below average precipitation is expected in northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin for October 2022.

Last 10 CFS model runs — Precipitation anomaly for October 2022.

Thanks for reading!

Tim