List of Minnesota weather records

Weather observations being taken in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1890.

The following is a list of Minnesota weather records observed at various stations across the state during the last 130 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 nearly 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 early 20th century most statewide stations that exist today were in operation.[1][2]

Temperature

Overall

The 1936 North American heat wave caused record-setting temperatures in eight US states.
Event[3] Measurement Date Location
Highest Temperature 114 °F (46 °C) July 29, 1917
July 6, 1936
Beardsley
Moorhead
Lowest Temperature −60 °F (−51 °C) February 2, 1996 Tower
Largest single-day change 71 °F drop (39 °C drop) April 3, 1982 Lamberton

By month

Event[1] Measurement Date Location
January
Highest Temperature 69 °F (21 °C) January 24, 1981 Montevideo
Lowest Temperature −57 °F (−49 °C) January 24, 1904
January 21, 1996
January 22, 1996
Embarrass
February
Highest Temperature 76 °F (24 °C) February 26, 1896 Pleasant Mound
Lowest Temperature −60 °F (−51 °C) February 2, 1996 Tower
March
Highest Temperature 88 °F (31 °C) March 23, 1910 Montevideo
Lowest Temperature −50 °F (−46 °C) March 2, 1897 Pokegama Dam
April
Highest Temperature 101 °F (38 °C) April 22, 1980 Hawley
Lowest Temperature −22 °F (−30 °C) April 6, 1979 Karlstad
May
Highest Temperature 112 °F (44 °C) May 31, 1934 Maple Plain
Lowest Temperature 4 °F (−16 °C) May 1, 1909
May 2, 1909
Pine River
Pine River
June
Highest Temperature 110 °F (43 °C) June 29, 1931 Canby
Lowest Temperature 15 °F (−9 °C) June 1, 1964 Bigfork
July
Highest Temperature 114 °F (46 °C) July 29, 1917
July 6, 1936
Beardsley
Moorhead
Lowest Temperature 24 °F (−4 °C) July 7, 1997 Tower
August
Highest Temperature 110 °F (43 °C) August 10, 1947
August 1, 1988
Beardsley
Montevideo
Lowest Temperature 21 °F (−6 °C) August 28, 1996
August 2, 2002
Tower
Kelliher
September
Highest Temperature 111 °F (44 °C) September 11, 1931 Beardsley
Lowest Temperature 10 °F (−12 °C) September 30, 1930
September 22, 1974
Big Falls
Thorhult
October
Highest Temperature 98 °F (37 °C) October 5, 1963 Beardsley
Lowest Temperature −16 °F (−27 °C) October 26, 1936 Roseau
November
Highest Temperature 84 °F (29 °C) November 1, 1950 Winona
Lowest Temperature −45 °F (−43 °C) November 30, 1896 Pokegama Dam
December
Highest Temperature 74 °F (23 °C) December 9, 1939 Wheaton
Lowest Temperature −57 °F (−49 °C) December 31, 1898 Pokegama Dam

Precipitation

Map of Minnesota showing the snowfall totals from the 1991 Halloween Blizzard.
Event[3] Measurement Date Location
Most yearly precip (one location) 53.52 inches (1,359 mm) 1991 St. Francis
Least yearly precip (one location) 6.37 inches (162 mm) 1976 Ortonville
Most yearly precip (State average) 33.92 inches (862 mm)[4] 1977 Statewide
Longest dryspell 79 days November 9, 1943 -
January 26, 1944
Beardsley, Canby,
Marshall, Dawson

Rain

Event Measurement Date Location
Most rain in 24 hours[5] 15.10 inches (384 mm) August 18 August 19, 2007 Hokah
Most rain in one month[6] 23.86 inches (606 mm) August, 2007 Hokah

Snow

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 68, 1994 Lake County
Most snow, one month[7] 66 inches (168 cm) March, 1965 Collegeville
Most snow, season 170 inches (432 cm) 1949 1950 Grand Portage State Park
Deepest snowpack[7] 75 inches (191 cm) March 28, 1950 Pigeon River Bridge
Most fatalities, winter storm[8] up to 200 January 1213, 1888 Statewide

Tornadoes

Damage from the 1886 Sauk Rapids tornado, Minnesota's deadliest tornado on record.
Event[9] Date Location
Most in one day 48[10] June 17, 2010 Statewide
Most in one month 71 June, 2010 Statewide
Most in one year 113 2010 Statewide
Earliest in season March 18, 1968 Truman
Earliest outbreak in season (2 or more)[11] 14 March 29, 1998 Southern Minnesota
Latest in season November 16, 1931 Maple Plain
Most fatalities, single tornado 72 April 14, 1886 St. Cloud, Sauk Rapids, Rice
Most intense damage measured[12] F5 June 13, 1968
June 16, 1992
Tracy
Chandler
Longest track
(broken path)[13]
110 miles (177 km) August 26, 1977 Otter Tail, Wadena, Cass, Crow Wing counties
Longest track
(continuous path)[13]
67 miles (108 km) March 29, 1998 Murray, Cottonwood, Brown, Watonwan, Blue Earth, Nicollet counties
Biggest outbreak 48 Mid-June 2010 tornado outbreak Statewide

Hail

Event[14][15] Measurement Date Location
Largest hailstone 6 inches (15 cm) dia. July 4, 1968
July 28, 1986
Edgerton
Reading

Flooding

Record flood stages for selected cities in Minnesota

Event Measurement Date Location
Middle Fork, Whitewater River
Highest flood stage[17] 19.24 ft August 19, 2007 Whitewater State Park
Root River
Highest flood stage[17] 18.75 ft August 19, 2007 Houston
Red River of the North
Highest flood stage[18] 40.82 ft March 28, 2009 Moorhead
Highest flood stage[19] 54.35 ft April 22, 1997 East Grand Forks
Minnesota River
Highest flood stage[20] 23.90 ft April 6, 1997 Montevideo
Highest flood stage[21] 35.07 ft April 12, 1965 Jordan
Mississippi River
Highest flood stage[22] 26.01 ft April 16, 1965 St. Paul
Highest flood stage[23] 20.77 ft April 19, 1965 Winona

Other records

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[24] 28.21 inHg (956 mb)[25] 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)
−71 °F (−57 °C)
(new formula)
January 9
January 10, 1982
Northern Minnesota
Highest wind (sustained)[26] 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

General
Large-scale events that affected Minnesota

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 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. 1 2 3 4 5 "Climate Extremes for Minnesota". Minnesota Climatology Office. September 6, 2011. Retrieved 2012-03-12.
  4. http://climate.umn.edu/doc/journal/warm_wet_2010.htm
  5. "New 24-hour precipitation record established in Minnesota". National Weather Service. August 23, 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-24.
  6. "Monthly Minnesota Rainfall Record Broken". Minnesota Climatology Office. October 18, 2007. Retrieved 2007-10-19.
  7. 1 2 "Minnesota Snowfall and Snow Depth Extremes". National Climatic Data Center. December 3, 2007. Retrieved 2008-02-01.
  8. "Famous Minnesota Winter Storms". Minnesota State Climatology Office. March 2, 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-28.
  9. "Minnesota Tornado History and Statistics". Minnesota Climatology Office. May 21, 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-19.
  10. http://www.crh.noaa.gov/images/mpx/2010torlist.pdf
  11. "Five Year Anniversary of the Comfrey/ St. Peter Tornado Outbreak". National Weather Service - Twin Cities. March 26, 2003.
  12. "F5 Tornadoes of the United States". Storm Prediction Center.
  13. 1 2 "How Historically Unusual Was This?". The Southern Minnesota Tornadoes of March 29, 1998. NWS - Twin Cities. March 6, 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-08.
  14. "NCDC Storm Event Database". NCDC. 1950–2006. Retrieved 2007-06-24.
  15. "NCDC Storm Event Database". NCDC. 1950–2006. Retrieved 2007-06-24.
  16. 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.
  17. 1 2 "Historic Rainfall and Flooding Event of August 18-20, 2007". NOAA. Retrieved 2007-08-31.
  18. "RED RIVER OF THE NORTH AT FARGO, ND". U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved 2009-06-18.
  19. "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.
  20. "MINNESOTA RIVER NEAR MONTEVIDEO, MN" (PDF). U.S. Geological Survey. Archived from the original (pdf) on 2007-12-03. Retrieved 2007-07-20.
  21. "MINNESOTA RIVER NEAR ALEXANDRIA, MN" (PDF). U.S. Geological Survey. Archived from the original (pdf) on 2007-12-03. Retrieved 2007-07-20.
  22. "MISSISSIPPI RIVER AT ST. PAUL, MN" (PDF). U.S. Geological Survey. Archived from the original (pdf) on 2007-12-03. Retrieved 2007-07-20.
  23. "MISSISSIPPI RIVER AT WINONA, MN" (PDF). U.S. Geological Survey. Archived from the original (pdf) on 2007-12-03. Retrieved 2007-07-20.
  24. "Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena" (PDF). NOAA. Retrieved 2006-11-20.
  25. "Record Low Pressure Hits Minnesota October 26-27, 2010". Minnesota Climatology Office. October 28, 2010. Retrieved 2010-10-29.
  26. http://www.startribune.com/local/129169613.html

External links

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