Tuesday cold front, snowy rumors north

Leafy blizzard

You'll feel Tuesday's cold front. Gusty northwest winds kicking to 30 miles per hour sweep leaf clusters airborne. Visibility temporarily reduced in micro leaf vortices. Expect blowing and drifting of uncollected leaf plies.

Yes, I just wanted to practice typing some gratuitous "winter words."

Tuesday's cold front is not the end of the season formerly known as fall. But it does signal the beginning of a slow slide into late October reality.

November lurks just a few days away. Here's a look at the front that delivers a partly soggy start Tuesday, and gusty northwest flow as chillier Canadian high pressure builds south.

Temperatures tumble Tuesday as colder air pours south. The low pressure center spinning north toward Canada's James Bay pulls in enough cold air and moisture to drop some late October snow in Ontario and as far south as the Boundary Waters and Ely, Minnesota.

Our winds mellow by Wednesday, but the 60s and any hint of 70 degrees are gone for now, as more "average" late October weather returns. A passing shower is possible Tuesday as angry looking cloud decks march southeast. Hard freezes become likely late this week even in the metro.

Trrrrick or Trrrreeeattt?

I was hoping to be wrong two weeks before Halloween when I said trick or treat time looks cold. Unfortunately, the early model trends from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Global Forecast System look to have been right on the money.

Here's NOAA's latest look at temperatures for trick-or-treat time Friday evening.

The good news? The Halloween chill looks to come with light winds, so I don't think we'll be adding much wind chill to those numbers.

How about a Bud Grant frozen tundra Vikings parka or the Michelin Man for this year's costume? I am going as the polar vortex.