Minnesota Winter Forecast: Some Will Love This, Others Will Hate It!

Last winter was fantastic because it hardly showed up! I don't mind some snow, but I'm not a fan of the extreme cold with nasty wind chills, so I appreciated El Niño giving us a break. 

Climate.gov writes that El Niño took effect in May 2023 and officially was gone as of June 2024. And now there's a good chance we’ll see La Niña appear this fall. So, what’s La Niña and will it impact our winter in Minnesota? Check out the latest long-term forecast below.

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What Is La Niña?

Essentially, it’s the opposite of El Niño and involves the cooling of ocean surface temperatures in the central and east-central Pacific. This cool air can impact weather patterns globally, even here in Minnesota.

Based on that, one might assume that we're in for the opposite of what we got last winter.

What Does La Niña Mean for Minnesota’s Winter?

Typically, La Niña means colder, wetter winters to Minnesota. But will this year follow that pattern?

The answer is no according to Carol Connare, the Almanac’s editor-in-chief, “This winter, temperatures will be up and snowfall down throughout most of the United States.”

How Cold Will It Be In Minnesota?

While it’s always chilly in the Upper Midwest, winter 2024-2025 is expected to be milder than usual. (Maybe not as warm as last winter, but above average.) Expect the coldest spells in early November, early and late January, late February, and early March.

How Much Will It Snow in Minnesota?

According to the Almanac's winter forecast, we're looking at below-average snowfall for the Upper Midwest this year. That's good news for those who hate shoveling, and bad news for those who want to snowmobile.

I’m looking forward to warmer temps, but I’d also like to have enough snow for sledding and building snowmen and forts with my kids.