ST PAUL, Minn. — As Minnesota makes its transition from the snowy season to the stormy season, there's one constant for drivers on the roads no matter what type of precipitation is falling: turn on your headlights.
Minnesota state law requires drivers to use headlights "at any time when it is raining, snowing, sleeting, or hailing" in addition to "any time from sunset to sunrise" and "any other time when visibility is impaired by weather, smoke, fog or other conditions or there is not sufficient light to render clearly discernible persons and vehicles on the highway at a distance of 500 feet ahead.
Functioning headlights and taillights are required.
"It’s about both seeing and being seen," the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) wrote in a 2019 blog post on the subject, noting that certain vehicle colors can blend into their surroundings during periods of rain or snow.
DPS says drivers often think their headlights are on because of the automatic headlight feature in many vehicles; however, it doesn't always get dark enough during daytime rain or snow storms to trigger the light sensors.
Wisconsin has a similar law, passed in 2016, which requires use of headlights at night and "during a period of limited visibility."
Watch more WeatherMinds:
Watch the latest deep-dives and explainers on weather and science in our YouTube playlist:
WATCH MORE ON KARE 11+
Download the free KARE 11+ app for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and other smart TV platforms to watch more from KARE 11 anytime! The KARE 11+ app includes live streams of all of KARE 11's newscasts. You'll also find on-demand replays of newscasts; the latest from KARE 11 Investigates, Breaking the News and the Land of 10,000 Stories; exclusive programs like Verify and HeartThreads; and Minnesota sports talk from our partners at Locked On Minnesota.
- Add KARE 11+ on Roku here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Roku Channel Store.
- Add KARE 11+ on Fire TV here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Amazon App Store.
- Learn more about the KARE 11+ app for Apple TV in the Apple App Store.
- Learn more about KARE 11+ here.