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List of Minnesota weather records

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The following is a list of Minnesota weather records observed at various stations across the state during the Over 160 years. Minnesota is a state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. Due to its location in the northern plains of the United States its climate is one of extremes. Minnesota's history of nearly continuous meteorological record keeping stretches back two centuries to 1819 when Fort Snelling was settled. By 1871 the first official government observations were taking place in the Twin Cities and by the late 19th century and early 20th century most statewide stations that exist today were in operation.[1][2]

Temperature

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Overall

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The 1936 North American heat wave caused record-setting temperatures in eight US states.
Event[3] Measurement Date Location
Highest Temperature 115 °F (46.1 °C) July 29, 1917 Beardsley
Lowest Temperature −60 °F (−51.1 °C) February 2, 1996 Tower
Largest single-day change 72 °F (40 °C) February 2, 1970 Nett Lake[4]

By month

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Event[1] Measurement Date Location
January
Highest Temperature 69 °F (20.6 °C) January 24, 1981 Montevideo
Lowest Temperature −57 °F (−49.4 °C) January 20, 1869 Embarrass
February
Highest Temperature 76 °F (24.4 °C) February 26, 1896 Pleasant Mound
Lowest Temperature −60 °F (−51.1 °C) February 2, 1996 Tower
March
Highest Temperature 88 °F (31.1 °C) March 23, 1910 Montevideo
Lowest Temperature −50 °F (−45.6 °C) March 2, 1897 Pine City
April
Highest Temperature 101 °F (38.3 °C) April 22, 1980 Hawley
Lowest Temperature −22 °F (−30 °C) April 6, 1979 Karlstad
May
Highest Temperature 112 °F (44.4 °C) May 31, 1934 Maple Plain
Lowest Temperature 4 °F (−15.6 °C) May 1, 1909
May 2, 1909		 Pine River
June
Highest Temperature 110 °F (43.3 °C) June 29, 1931 Canby
Lowest Temperature 15 °F (−9.4 °C) June 1, 1964 Bigfork
July
Highest Temperature 115 °F (46.1 °C) July 29, 1917 Beardsley
Lowest Temperature 24 °F (−4.4 °C) July 7, 1997 Tower
August
Highest Temperature 110 °F (43.3 °C) August 10, 1947
August 1, 1988		 Beardsley
Montevideo
Lowest Temperature 21 °F (−6.1 °C) August 28, 1996
August 2, 2002		 Tower
Kelliher
September
Highest Temperature 111 °F (43.9 °C) September 11, 1931 Beardsley
Lowest Temperature 10 °F (−12.2 °C) September 30, 1930
September 22, 1974		 Big Falls
Thorhult
October
Highest Temperature 98 °F (36.7 °C) October 5, 1963 Beardsley
Lowest Temperature −16 °F (−26.7 °C) October 26, 1936 Roseau
November
Highest Temperature 84 °F (28.9 °C) November 1, 1950 Winona
Lowest Temperature −47 °F (−43.9 °C) November 25, 1945 Pine City
December
Highest Temperature 74 °F (23.3 °C) December 9, 1939 Wheaton
Lowest Temperature −57 °F (−49.4 °C) December 31, 1898 Pine City

Precipitation

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Map of Minnesota showing the snowfall totals from the 1991 Halloween Blizzard.
Event[3] Measurement Date Location
Most yearly precip (one location) 60.21 inches (1,529 mm) 2018 Harmony
Least yearly precip (one location) 6.37 inches (162 mm) 1976 Ortonville
Most yearly precip (State average) 33.92 inches (862 mm)[5] 1977 Statewide
Longest dry spell 79 days November 9, 1943 -
January 26, 1944		 Beardsley, Canby,
Marshall, Dawson

Rain

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Event Measurement Date Location
Most rain in 24 hours[6] 15.10 inches (384 mm) August 18–19, 2007 Hokah
Most rain in one month[7] 23.86 inches (606 mm) August 2007 Hokah

Snow

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Event[3] Measurement Date Location
Earliest recorded snow[1] Trace August 31, 1949 Duluth
Earliest measurable snow 0.3 inch (1 cm) September 14, 1964 International Falls
Latest recorded snow 1.5 inches (4 cm) June 4, 1935 Mizpah
Most snow, 24 hours 36 inches (91 cm) January 7, 1994 Lake County
Most snow, one storm 47 inches (119 cm) January 6–8, 1994 Lake County
Most snow, one month[8] 66 inches (168 cm) March, 1965 Collegeville
Most snow, season 170 inches (432 cm) 1949 – 1950 Grand Portage State Park
Deepest snowpack[8] 75 inches (191 cm) March 28, 1950 Pigeon River Bridge
Most fatalities, winter storm[9] up to 200 January 12–13, 1888 Statewide

Tornadoes

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Damage from the 1886 Sauk Rapids tornado, Minnesota's deadliest tornado on record.
Event[10] Date Location
Most in one day 48[11] June 17, 2010 Statewide
Most in one month 71 June 2010 Statewide
Most in one year 113 2010 Statewide
Earliest in season[12] March 6, 2017 Faribault County
Earliest outbreak in season (2 or more)[13] 3 March 6, 2017 Sherburne, Faribault, and Freeborn counties
Latest in season December 15, 2021 Eyota
Latest outbreak in season (2 or more)[14] 22 December 15, 2021 Dodge, Fairbault, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Houston, Mower, Steele, Wabasha, and Winona counties
Most fatalities, single tornado 72 April 14, 1886 St. Cloud, Sauk Rapids, Rice
Most intense damage measured[15] F5 June 13, 1968
June 16, 1992		 Tracy
Chandler
Longest track
(broken path)[16]		 110 miles (177 km) August 26, 1977 Otter Tail, Wadena, Cass, Crow Wing counties
Longest track
(continuous path)[16]		 67 miles (108 km) March 29, 1998 Murray, Cottonwood, Brown, Watonwan, Blue Earth, Nicollet counties
Biggest outbreak 48 June 2010 Northern Plains tornado outbreak Statewide

Hail

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Event Measurement Date Location
Largest hailstone 6 inches (15 cm) dia. July 4, 1968
July 28, 1986		 Edgerton[17]
Reading[18]

Flooding

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A bridge connecting East Grand Forks, Minnesota to Grand Forks, North Dakota is submerged during the record flooding of the Red River in 1997.[19]

Record flood stages for selected cities in Minnesota

Event Measurement Date Location
Middle Fork, Whitewater River
Highest flood stage[20] 19.24 ft August 19, 2007 Whitewater State Park
Root River
Highest flood stage[20] 18.75 ft August 19, 2007 Houston
Red River of the North
Highest flood stage[21] 40.82 ft March 28, 2009 Moorhead
Highest flood stage[22] 54.35 ft April 22, 1997 East Grand Forks
Minnesota River
Highest flood stage[23] 23.90 ft April 6, 1997 Montevideo
Highest flood stage[24] 35.07 ft April 12, 1965 Jordan
Mississippi River
Highest flood stage[25] 26.01 ft April 16, 1965 St. Paul
Highest flood stage[26] 20.77 ft April 19, 1965 Winona

Other records

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The area of Low pressure that caused the United States' lowest recorded continental atmospheric pressure on October 26, 2010 over Minnesota
Event Measurement Date Location
Highest Pressure[3] 31.11 inHg (1053.5 mb) January 21, 1922 Collegeville
Lowest Pressure[27] 28.21 inHg (956 mb)[28] October 26, 2010 Bigfork
Highest dew point 88 °F (31 °C) July 18, 2011
July 19, 2011		 Madison
Moorhead
Highest heat index 134 °F (57 °C) July 19, 2011 Moorhead
Lowest wind chill (estimated)[3] −100 °F (−73 °C)
(old formula)
−77 °F (−61 °C)
(new formula)		 January 9–10, 1982 –
January 29, 2019		 Thief River Falls
Highest wind (sustained)[29] 121 mph (194 km/h) September 1, 2011 Donaldson
Highest wind (gust)[1] 180 mph (290 km/h) August 20, 1904 St. Paul

See also

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General
Large-scale events that affected Minnesota

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Seeley W., Mark (2006). Minnesota Weather Almanac. Minnesota Historical Society press. ISBN 0-87351-554-4.
  2. ^ "History of the NWS in the Twin Cities". National Weather Service - Twin Cities. November 9, 2005. Retrieved 2007-06-19.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Minnesota Climate Extremes". Minnesota Climatology Office. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
  4. ^ "Minnesota Climate Extremes".
  5. ^ "Warm and Wet 2010". climate.umn.edu. Archived from the original on 2011-01-09.
  6. ^ "New 24-hour precipitation record established in Minnesota". National Weather Service. August 23, 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-24.
  7. ^ "Monthly Minnesota Rainfall Record Broken". Minnesota Climatology Office. October 18, 2007. Archived from the original on May 14, 2008. Retrieved 2007-10-19.
  8. ^ a b "Minnesota Snowfall and Snow Depth Extremes". National Climatic Data Center. December 3, 2007. Retrieved 2008-02-01.
  9. ^ "Famous Minnesota Winter Storms". Minnesota State Climatology Office. March 2, 2007. Archived from the original on January 7, 2009. Retrieved 2007-06-28.
  10. ^ "Minnesota Tornado History and Statistics". Minnesota Climatology Office. May 21, 2007. Archived from the original on August 11, 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-19.
  11. ^ 2010 data [dead link]
  12. ^ "IEM :: PNS from NWS MPX".
  13. ^ "Summary of March 06 2017 Severe Weather Outbreak". National Weather Service - Twin Cities. March 7, 2017.
  14. ^ "Historic, Unprecedented Storm of December 15-16, 2021". National Weather Service - Twin Cities. December 15, 2021.
  15. ^ "F5 Tornadoes of the United States". Storm Prediction Center.
  16. ^ a b "How Historically Unusual Was This?". The Southern Minnesota Tornadoes of March 29, 1998. NWS - Twin Cities. March 6, 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-08.
  17. ^ "NCDC Storm Event Database". NCDC. 1950–2021. Retrieved 2022-02-06.
  18. ^ "NCDC Storm Event Database". NCDC. 1950–2021. Retrieved 2022-02-06.
  19. ^ Macek-Rowland, K.M. (April 13, 2005). "1997 Floods in the Red River of the North and Missouri River Basins in North Dakota and Western Minnesota". U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved 2007-07-11.
  20. ^ a b "Historic Rainfall and Flooding Event of August 18-20, 2007". NOAA. Retrieved 2007-08-31.
  21. ^ "RED RIVER OF THE NORTH AT FARGO, ND". U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved 2009-06-18.
  22. ^ "RED RIVER OF THE NORTH AT GRAND FORKS, ND" (PDF). U.S. Geological Survey. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-12-03. Retrieved 2007-07-20.
  23. ^ "MINNESOTA RIVER NEAR MONTEVIDEO, MN" (PDF). U.S. Geological Survey. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-12-03. Retrieved 2007-07-20.
  24. ^ "MINNESOTA RIVER NEAR ALEXANDRIA, MN" (PDF). U.S. Geological Survey. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-12-03. Retrieved 2007-07-20.
  25. ^ "MISSISSIPPI RIVER AT ST. PAUL, MN" (PDF). U.S. Geological Survey. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-12-03. Retrieved 2007-07-20.
  26. ^ "MISSISSIPPI RIVER AT WINONA, MN" (PDF). U.S. Geological Survey. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-12-03. Retrieved 2007-07-20.
  27. ^ "Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena" (PDF). NOAA. Retrieved 2006-11-20.
  28. ^ "Record Low Pressure Hits Minnesota October 26-27, 2010". Minnesota Climatology Office. October 28, 2010. Archived from the original on October 31, 2010. Retrieved 2010-10-29.
  29. ^ "121-MPH wind huffed, puffed, blew state record down". Star Tribune.
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