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Heat dissipates, but welcome rain continues

Heat dissipates, but welcome rain continues: After a very warm start to the month, temperatures have significantly cooled off. Since last Friday, most climate stations have seen average temperatures that are 4.0°F to 7.0°F cooler than normal. In fact, Brimson, Embarrass, Grand Marais, Hibbing, Big Fork, Hibbing, Cook, and Wolf Ridge all reported morning low temperatures in the 30s F this week. Grand Marais reported a daily high temperature of only 53°F on June 16th. In addition, since last Friday, most areas of the state have seen at least 4 days bring more rain. In almost all cases the rain has been welcomed, with total amounts for this last week ranging from three-quarters of an inch to 2.00 inches. About 25 percent of the climate observers in the state now report over 3 inches of rain for the month so far. Drought status is still precarious for some north-central and southwestern counties (Moderate to Severe Drought), as rain continues to miss those areas. But at least the ou...
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Heat and High Dew Points Bring Welcome Widespread Rain

Heat and High Dew Points Bring Welcome Widespread Rain: June 9th and 10th this week brought very warm temperatures (over 20 climate stations reported daily highs of 90s°F or greater), along with the highest dew points of the month so far. Many climate stations reported dew points in the low to mid 70s F, and in some cases this produced afternoon Heat Index Values close to 100°F. All of the first 10 days of June have brought warmer than normal temperatures to Minnesota, though very few daily temperature records have been broken. Most climate stations are reporting an average temperature so far that is from 7°F or 8°F warmer than normal. This means that the first 10 days of this June rank among the top 5 warmest in history for many locations around the state, including the Twin Cities. The high dew points are measurements directly related to atmospheric water vapor and associated with the showers and thunderstorms that were so prevalent this week. Orwell Dam (Otter Tail County) and ...
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Timely rain for some

Timely rain for some: The rain this week was timely, but highly variable. Over 80 climate observers reported that they received an inch or more of rainfall. A few spots in Stevens and Grant Counties (west-central Minnesota) reported over 2 inches of rain. This time of year as Minnesota crops begin more rapid growth, weekly doses of rain will be more critical. As we enter the second week of June, fully three-quarters of Minnesota corn and soybean fields are estimated to be in good to excellent condition. We will likely need weekly doses of rain to sustain this. Outlooks for at the least the first half of June favor more frequent rain and thunderstorms across the state through at least June 18th.So hopefully, good to excellent crop conditions will be maintained through the month. With a lot of daytime high temperatures in the 80s F and nighttime lows in the 60s F, most climate stations are reporting average temperatures through the first four days of the month that are 5°F to 7°F w...
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Preliminary Climate Summary for May of 2026

Preliminary Climate Summary for May of 2026: May brought wide temperature fluctuations across Minnesota, starting out the first half of the month with multiple frosts and many days with colder than normal temperatures. Frosts occurred across even southern Minnesota counties over May 5-6, but most crops were either just planted or too early in their growth to be seriously damaged. Mid-month monthly brought some summerlike temperatures, as well as some Red Flag Warnings because of very low humidity and high winds. The last week of the month brought well above normal temperatures, with many climate stations reporting high temperatures of 90°F or above. May 16th and May 25th brought daily record high temperatures to at least 20 climate stations in the state. International Falls reached a daily record high temperature of 89°F on the 25th. Overall, northern Minnesota reported mean monthly temperatures that were from 1°F to 3°F cooler than normal, while southern Minnesota climate stations rep...
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Welcome Rain

Welcome Rain: After a spell of very windy and dry weather last week that produced several days of Red Flag Warnings and resulted in some significant wildfires in northeastern areas of Minnesota, some much needed widespread rains arrived over this past week. Over 350 observers reported from 1 to 2 inches of rainfall over the period from May 15 to May 21. Some areas in south-central and east-central Minnesota reported between 2 and 4 inches of rain. Mapleton in Blue Earth County reported over 4 inches, while Winnebago in Faribault County reported over 3.80 inches. More details on the rain distribution and impact can be found at the Minnesota State Climatology Office web site . The rain was also welcomed by crop producers around the state, as nearly all the corn and soybeans have been planted and will benefit from the added soil moisture, and alfalfa producers were looking for a rain induced burst of growth before taking their first cuttings this year. With the rain and warming tempe...
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