Minnesota Climate
Top 5 Cities: Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Rochester, Duluth, and Bloomington
This month in numbers
Minnesota experienced an average April temperature of 5.44°C, which was -0.1°C cooler than the 1961–1990 baseline, ranking 39th of 77 years on record. Precipitation for April was 72.39 mm, an increase of 16.1 mm compared to the baseline, making it the 19th wettest April on record. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April on record for land temperatures, with an anomaly of +1.1°C.
What changed
Looking at the broader picture, the February–April 2026 period saw an average temperature of -0.28°C, a significant +2.6°C anomaly compared to the 1961–1990 baseline, ranking as the 13th warmest such period on record. This trend contrasts with the latest single month's slight cooling. Minnesota's 1-month anomaly places it 228th out of 234 regions globally, indicating it was among the cooler regions this past month. However, the 3-month anomaly of +2.56°C places Minnesota 66th globally, with 9 of the top 10 warmest 3-month anomalies being US states, highlighting a striking geographic concentration of warming across the country.
What’s driving change?
The recent period has seen a notable concentration of extreme weather events in Minnesota. There have been three wildfire events between May 14 and May 21, representing 100% of the annual total for the past 12 months, which is an unusual concentration for the region. These wildfires, including the Stewart Trail Fire and the Flanders Fire, were exacerbated by warm, dry, and windy conditions in mid-May, particularly in northern Minnesota where the spring green-up was not yet complete, leaving dry vegetation susceptible to fire. Additionally, two drought events have been logged in the past 12 months, both occurring between August 2025 and May 2026, also representing 100% of the annual total. Despite these dry conditions, a flood event also occurred between May 19 and May 22. This mixed bag of conditions, including severe thunderstorms and much-needed rains in mid-May, has been influenced by a series of disconnected weather systems. For more details on active extreme weather events, visit Extreme Weather tracker.
Looking ahead
The May precipitation outlook suggests a tilt toward drier than normal conditions across the state, especially in central and southern Minnesota.
Sources:
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Minnesota
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) — see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in Minnesota changing?
Minnesota is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The trend rate is shown as °C per decade in the headline panel; you can also see the warmest and coolest years on file.
Where does the climate data for Minnesota come from?
Climate data for Minnesota comes from NOAA Climate at a Glance (temperature and precipitation), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the Minnesota climate data cover?
The Minnesota climate profile covers Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Rochester, Duluth and surrounding areas. Minnesota climate data from NOAA Climate at a Glance
How often is the Minnesota climate update refreshed?
The Minnesota climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.