Halloween Climate Statistics & Weather History

La Crosse, WI:

The following statistics comprise 151 years of data.  From 1872 through 1950, the data came from various locations in downtown La Crosse. Since 1950, the data has been gathered at La Crosse Regional Airport.  Due to the NWS office being closed down in the Autumn of 1985, no observations were taken during that year.

The odds of having any precipitation at all on Halloween is 43.7% (66 out of 151).  There has been measurable (0.01" or greater) precipitation on 44 Halloweens (29.1%) and trace amounts (less than 0.01") on 22 Halloweens (14.6%). 

Since 1897, it has snowed on 14 of 124 Halloweens (11.3%).  The only Halloweens with measurable snowfall were in 1926 (2.4"), 1995 (0.5"), and 2023 (1.1").  

Last Halloween (2023), the high temperature was 37°F and the low temperature was 25°F.  The average temperature was 31°F.  0.07" of precipitation fell and 1.1" of snow fell. This was the first measurable snowfall on Halloween since 1995 and the second-highest snowfall on Halloween. Only 1926 had more with 2.4". The average wind speed was 12.5 mph.

Rochester, MN:

The following statistics comprise 111 years of data. From 1886 through 1931, the data came from several cooperative observers in the Rochester area. Since 1932, the data has been gathered at Rochester International Airport. No data was taken on Halloween from 1889 to 1891, in 1908, from 1921 to 1927, and in 1933.

The odds of having any precipitation at all on Halloween is 40.5% (45 out of 111).  There has been measurable (0.01" or greater) precipitation on 34 Halloweens (30.6%) and trace amounts (less than 0.01") on 11 Halloweens (9.9%).  

Since 1928, it has snowed on 17 out of 99 Halloweens (17.2%).  Measurable snow has fallen on 9 Halloweens (1929 - 3.5", 1932 -1.5", 1954 - 0.6", 1966 - 0.1", 1970 - 0.1", 1989 - 0.4", 1991 - 0.4", 1995 - 1.7", and 2023 -1.1").  

Last Halloween (2023), the high temperature was 34°F and the low temperature was 21°F.  The average temperature was 28°F.  0.07" of precipitation fell and 1.1" of snow fell. This was the first measurable snowfall on Halloween since 1995 (1.7"). The average wind speed was 18.2 mph.

The following weather events have occurred on Halloween in southeast Minnesota, northeast Iowa, and western Wisconsin:

• In 1926, La Crosse WI received 2.4" of snow.  This was their snowiest Halloween.
• In 1929, Rochester MN received 3.5" of snow. This was their snowiest Halloween.
• In 1935, Rochester MN received 1.31" of rain. This was their wettest Halloween.
• In 1984, La Crosse WI received 2.04" of rain. This was their wettest Halloween.
• In 1991, a low-pressure system developed on Halloween morning over southeast Texas and moved rapidly north-northeast, reaching its maximum intensity (984 mb) just east of La Crosse, WI on the afternoon of November 1st. This storm became known as the "Halloween Blizzard" in most of Minnesota and the "Halloween Ice Storm" in Iowa and portions of southeast Minnesota.
  
  Snow moved into southern Iowa during the afternoon of October 30th and then spread into northern Iowa and Minnesota early on October 31st. Warm air aloft wrapping around this low-pressure area caused the snow to change into a mixture of snow, sleet, and freezing rain by mid-morning on Halloween across southeast Minnesota and much of eastern Iowa, and this mixture continued until the late afternoon of November 1st. One to two inches of ice accumulated from southwest Iowa into north-central Iowa, and from 2-3" of ice accumulated across south-central and southeast Minnesota.
   
  
  
  In Iowa, Interstate 35 was closed down by fallen power lines. 80,000 homes were without power and there was $63 million in utility damage. Ten to fifteen percent of the corn crop was still in the fields and the combination of ice, snow, and wind from this storm flattened some fields. Crop damage was estimated at up to $5 million. This storm is considered the most costly ice storm in Iowa history. It took over a week to restore power in some rural areas. Governor Terry Branstad declared 52 of 99 counties as disaster areas.
  
  In south-central and southeast Minnesota, 11 counties were declared federal disaster areas due to this ice storm. The total damage was $11.7 million. According to the National Weather Service publication Storm Data, "at least 20,000 people experienced power outages from October 31st to November 2nd as many power lines and poles snapped under the weight of the ice. Many rural areas were without power for about a week. Governor Arne H. Carlson declared a state of emergency in Freeborn and Mower counties. The National Guard was called upon to help provide generators to rural farmsteads. The National Guard armory and a local mall in Albert Lea were used as the shelter for many stranded motorists on November 1st and 2nd. At the height of the storm, a 180-mile-long stretch of Interstate 90 from the South Dakota border to Rochester was closed."
   

  During the evening of November 1st, arctic air moved into the region, changing the precipitation to all snow. The snow continued until midday on November 2nd. 6 to 10" fell across Winona and Houston counties in southeast Minnesota, and La Crosse County in southwest Wisconsin. Meanwhile, 3 to 6" of snow fell across the remainder of southeast Minnesota, portions of western Wisconsin, and a small portion of northeast Iowa. These amounts are small in comparison to the snowfall from Red Wing, MN northward to the Duluth, MN area. This winter storm dropped 28.4" of snow on the Twin Cities (single storm record for the metropolitan record) while Duluth received 36.9" of snow (the largest single storm total in MN history).
  
  Wind speeds of 30 to 50 mph and gusts to 60 mph on November 1st and 2nd created blizzard conditions across eastern South Dakota, Minnesota, western Iowa, and extreme western Wisconsin. This storm closed schools, businesses, bridges, and public transportation systems for several days. Clean-up was hindered by numerous accidents and abandoned vehicles.
  
  At least 20 people died in Minnesota due to traffic accidents or heart attacks from digging out after the storm. In addition, two Wisconsin hunters died when their boat capsized in Lake Onalaska during the storm.

• In 1995, La Crosse WI received 0.5" of snow.  This was only the second time since 1897 that measurable snow had fallen on Halloween in La Crosse.
• In 2017, high temperatures ranged from the lower 30s to mid-40s and low temperatures ranged from the lower 20s to lower 30s.  Rochester had a high temperature of 34°F (tied with 1913 and 1951 for the 6th coldest), a low temperature of 22°F, and an average temperature of 28°F (tied for 10th coldest with 1991).  La Crosse had a high temperature of 35°F (4th coldest), a low temperature of 25°F, and a mean temperature of 30°F (tied for 8th coldest with 1913).
• In 2019, high temperatures ranged from the upper 20s to mid-30s, and low temperatures ranged from the teens to upper 20s.  Rochester had a high temperature of 33°F (tied with 2002 for the 4th coldest), a low temperature of 19°F (tied with 1930, 1951, and 1954 for the 6th coldest), and an average temperature of 26°F (5th coldest).  La Crosse had a high temperature of 37°F (tied for the 8th coldest), a low temperature of 27°F, and an average temperature of 32°F. 
• In 2023, measurable snow fell for the first time on Halloween since 1995. Snow totals ranged from just a trace to nearly 6" (5.6" - Chatfield 9 ESE, MN - CoCoRaHS observer). The highest snow totals (3 to 5.6") were in a narrow band across southeast Minnesota from Zumbro Falls to Lanesboro. Both La Crosse, WI and Rochester, MN received 1.1" of snow. The high temperature was 37°F at La Crosse, WI. This was tied for 8th coldest with 1879, 1951, and 2019. The high temperature was 34°F at Rochester, MN. This was tied for 6th coldest with 1913, 1951, and 2017.