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 state-wide stations that exist today were in operation.[1][2]

Contents

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) 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		 Pokegama Dam
Embarrass
Embarrass
February
Highest Temperature 73 °F (23 °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 precip in a year 53.52 inches (1,359 mm) 1991 St. Francis
Least precip in a year 6.37 inches (162 mm) 1976 Ortonville
Longest dryspell 79 days November 9, 1943 -
January 26, 1944		 Beardsley, Canby,
Marshall, Dawson

Rain

Event Measurement Date Location
Most rain in 24 hours[4] 15.10 inches (384 mm) August 18 – August 19, 2007 Hokah
Most rain in one month[5] 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 6–8, 1994 Lake County
Most snow, one month[6] 66 inches (168 cm) March, 1965 Collegeville
Most snow, season 170 inches (432 cm) 1949 – 1950 Grand Portage State Park
Largest snow cover[6] 88 inches (224 cm) February 21, 1969 Meadowlands
Most fatalities, winter storm[7] up to 200 January 12–13, 1888 State-wide

Tornadoes

Damage from the 1886 Sauk Rapids tornado, Minnesota's deadliest tornado on record.
Event[8] Date Location
Most in one day 27 June 16, 1992 State-wide
Most in one month 38 June, 2001 State-wide
Most in one year 74 2001 State-wide
Earliest in season March 18, 1968 Truman
Earliest outbreak in season (2 or more)[9] 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[10] F5 June 13, 1968
June 16, 1992		 Tracy
Chandler
Longest track
(broken path)[11]		 110 miles (177 km) August 26, 1977 Otter Tail, Wadena, Cass, Crow Wing counties
Longest track
(continuous path)[11]		 67 miles (108 km) March 29, 1998 Murray, Cottonwood, Brown, Watonwan, Blue Earth, Nicollet counties

Hail

Event[12][13] Measurement Date Location
Largest hailstone 6 inches (15 cm) dia. July 4, 1968
July 28, 1986		 Edgerton
Reading

Flooding

A bridge connecting East Grand Forks, Minnesota to Grand Forks, North Dakota is submerged during the record flooding of the Red River in 1997.[14]

Record flood stages for selected cities in Minnesota

Event Measurement Date Location
Middle Fork, Whitewater River
Highest flood stage[15] 19.24 ft August 19, 2007 Whitewater State Park
Root River
Highest flood stage[15] 18.75 ft August 19, 2007 Houston
Red River
Highest flood stage[16] 39.72 ft April 18, 1997 Moorhead
Highest flood stage[17] 54.35 ft April 22, 1997 East Grand Forks
Minnesota River
Highest flood stage[18] 23.90 ft April 6, 1997 Montevideo
Highest flood stage[19] 35.07 ft April 12, 1965 Jordan
Mississippi River
Highest flood stage[20] 26.01 ft April 16, 1965 St. Paul
Highest flood stage[21] 20.77 ft April 19, 1965 Winona

Other records

The area of Low pressure that caused Minnesota's lowest measured atmospheric pressure on November 11, 1998
Event Measurement Date Location
Highest Pressure[3] 31.11 inHg (1053.5 mb) January 21, 1922 Collegeville
Lowest Pressure[22] 28.43 inHg (962.7 mb) November 10, 1998 Albert Lea
Austin
Highest dew point[23] 86 °F (30 °C) July 23, 2005 Pipestone
St. James
Highest heat index[24] 125 °F (52 °C) July 30, 1999
July 23, 2005		 Red Wing
Pipestone
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)[1] 110 mph (177 km/h) August 20, 1904 St. Paul
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. ^ a b c d e Seeley, 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 on 2007-06-19.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Climate Extremes for Minnesota". Minnesota Climatology Office (September 8, 2004). Retrieved on 2006-11-10.
  4. ^ "New 24-hour precipitation record established in Minnesota". National Weather Service (August 23, 2007). Retrieved on 2007-08-24.
  5. ^ "Monthly Minnesota Rainfall Record Broken". Minnesota Climatology Office (October 18, 2007). Retrieved on 2007-10-19.
  6. ^ a b "Minnesota Snowfall and Snow Depth Extremes". National Climatic Data Center (December 3, 2007). Retrieved on 2008-02-01.
  7. ^ "Famous Minnesota Winter Storms". Minnesota State Climatology Office (March 2, 2007). Retrieved on 2007-06-28.
  8. ^ "Minnesota Tornado History and Statistics". Minnesota Climatology Office (May 21, 2007). Retrieved on 2007-06-19.
  9. ^ "Five Year Anniversary of the Comfrey/ St. Peter Tornado Outbreak". National Weather Service - Twin Cities (March 26, 2003).
  10. ^ "F5 Tornadoes of the United States". Storm Prediction Center.
  11. ^ a b "How Historically Unusual Was This?". The Southern Minnesota Tornadoes of March 29, 1998. NWS - Twin Cities (March 6, 2008). Retrieved on 2008-05-08.
  12. ^ "NCDC Storm Event Database". NCDC (1950 - 2006). Retrieved on 2007-06-24.
  13. ^ "NCDC Storm Event Database". NCDC (1950 - 2006). Retrieved on 2007-06-24.
  14. ^ 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 on 2007-07-11.
  15. ^ a b "Historic Rainfall and Flooding Event of August 18-20, 2007". NOAA. Retrieved on 2007-08-31.
  16. ^ "RED RIVER OF THE NORTH AT FARGO, ND" (pdf). U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved on 2007-07-20.
  17. ^ "RED RIVER OF THE NORTH AT GRAND FORKS, ND" (pdf). U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved on 2007-07-20.
  18. ^ "MINNESOTA RIVER NEAR MONTEVIDEO, MN" (pdf). U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved on 2007-07-20.
  19. ^ "MINNESOTA RIVER NEAR JORDAN, MN" (pdf). U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved on 2007-07-20.
  20. ^ "MISSISSIPPI RIVER AT ST. PAUL, MN" (pdf). U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved on 2007-07-20.
  21. ^ "MISSISSIPPI RIVER AT WINONA, MN" (pdf). U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved on 2007-07-20.
  22. ^ "Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena" (PDF). NOAA. Retrieved on 2006-11-20.
  23. ^ "High Dew Point Temperatures, July 23, 2005". Minnesota State Climatology Office (July 28, 2005). Retrieved on 2007-06-18.
  24. ^ Seeley, Mark (July 29, 2005). "Topics for MPR's Morning Edition" (.txt). Minnesota State Climatology Office. Retrieved on 2007-06-28.

External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Minnesota_weather_records"


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