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NOAA National Centers
for Environmental Information

State Climate Summaries 2022

MINNESOTA

Key Messages   Narrative   Downloads  

A Lake for a Morning Wanderer
Photo by Always Shooting
License: CC BY

Key Message 1

Temperatures in Minnesota have risen more than 2.5°F since the beginning of the 20th century. Under a higher emissions pathway, historically unprecedented warming is projected during this century. While warmer temperatures will reduce heating energy demand and lengthen the growing season, they will also increase the intensity of naturally occurring droughts.

Key Message 2

Precipitation has increased over the last 100 years. Spring precipitation is projected to increase by about 15% to 20% by midcentury.

Key Message 3

Extreme precipitation events are projected to increase in frequency and intensity, resulting in increased flooding and associated impacts, such as increased erosion, infrastructure damage, and agricultural losses.

Big Read
Photo by TumblingRun
License: CC BY-NC-ND

MINNESOTA

   

Figure 1

Observed and Projected Temperature Change
Time series of observed and projected temperature change (in degrees Fahrenheit) for Minnesota from 1900 to 2100 as described in the caption. Y-axis values range from negative 5.2 to positive 19.0 degrees. Observed annual temperatures from 1900 to 2020 show variability and range from negative 4.1 to positive 5.5 degrees. By the end of the century, projected increases in temperature range from 2.6 to 10.6 degrees under the lower emissions pathway and from 8.0 to 17.9 degrees under the higher pathway.
Figure 1: Observed and projected changes (compared to the 1901–1960 average) in near-surface air temperature for Minnesota. Observed data are for 1900–2020. Projected changes for 2006–2100 are from global climate models for two possible futures: one in which greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase (higher emissions) and another in which greenhouse gas emissions increase at a slower rate (lower emissions). Temperatures in Minnesota (orange line) have risen more than 2.5°F since the beginning of the 20th century. Shading indicates the range of annual temperatures from the set of models. Observed temperatures are generally within the envelope of model simulations of the historical period (gray shading). Historically unprecedented warming is projected during this century. Less warming is expected under a lower emissions future (the coldest end-of-century projections being about 2°F warmer than the historical average; green shading) and more warming under a higher emissions future (the hottest end-of-century projections being about 10°F warmer than the hottest year in the historical record; red shading). Sources: CISESS and NOAA NCEI.

Minnesota’s location in the interior of North America and the lack of mountains to the north and south expose the state to incursions of bitterly cold air masses from the Arctic in the winter and warm, humid air masses from the Gulf of Mexico in the summer, resulting in large temperature variations across the seasons. Winters are cold in the south and frigid in the north, and summers are mild to occasionally hot in the south and pleasantly cool in the north. The summer is characterized by frequent warm air masses, either hot and dry continental air masses from the arid west and southwest or warm and moist air that pushes northward from the Gulf of Mexico. The summer is also punctuated by periodic intrusions of cooler air from Canada, providing breaks from the heat. Temperature extremes have ranged from as low as −60°F (February 2, 1996, at Tower) to as high as 115°F (July 29, 1917, at Beardsley). Among the non-mountainous U.S. states, Minnesota has the third-largest range of highest to lowest temperatures. The state’s location on the eastern edge of the transition zone between the humid climate of the eastern United States and the semiarid climate of the Great Plains also creates large differences in average precipitation across the state. Snowstorms are a normal part of the winter and early spring climate, with annual average snowfall ranging from 30 to 70 inches over most of the state, with higher values near 90 inches along the shores of Lake Superior.

Temperatures in Minnesota have risen more than 2.5°F since the beginning of the 20th century (Figure 1). Since 1998, Minnesota has experienced 8 of its 10 warmest years on record. This warming has been concentrated in the winter, while summers have not warmed as much. Summer warming has been mostly due to an increase in nighttime temperatures, with the coolest nights of summer becoming warmer. By contrast, summer daytime high temperatures have increased very little, which is reflected in a below average occurrence of hot days (Figure 2a). There is no overall trend in warm nights (Figure 2b). The winter warming trend is reflected in a below average number of very cold days since 2000, with a historic low occurring during the 2000–2004 period (Figure 2c). In addition, the ice-out date for Lake Osakis has been earlier than April 16 for 11 years since 2000 (Figure 3).

Figure 2

   

a)

Observed Number of Hot Days
Graph of the observed annual number of hot days for Minnesota from 1900 to 2020 as described in the caption. Y-axis values range from 0 to 35 days. Annual values show year-to-year variability and range from 2 to 34 days. Prior to 1990, multiyear values are mostly near or above the long-term average of 11 days. The multiyear periods of the 1930s are well above average and have the highest multiyear values. Since 1990, multiyear values are all below average, with the lowest multiyear value occurring during the 1990 to 1994 period.
   

b)

Observed Number of Warm Nights
Graph of the observed annual number of warm nights for Minnesota from 1900 to 2020 as described in the caption. Y-axis values range from 0 to 14 nights. Annual values show year-to-year variability and range from 0.4 to about 13 nights. Multiyear values also show variability and are mostly below the long-term average of 3.5 nights between 1900 and 1929 but are all above average between 1930 and 1949. Since 1950, multiyear values show no clear trend but are mostly near or below average. The 1905 to 1909 period has the lowest multiyear value, and the 1930 to 1934 and 1935 to 1939 periods have the highest.
   

c)

Observed Number of Very Cold Days
Graph of the observed annual number of very cold days for Minnesota from 1900 to 2020 as described in the caption. Y-axis values range from 0 to 20 days. Annual values show year-to-year variability and range from 0.2 to about 20 days. Multiyear values also show variability and are mostly near or above the long-term average of 4.7 days between 1900 and 1939, all below average between 1940 and 1959, and mostly near or above average between 1960 and 1999. Since 2000, multiyear values are all below average. The 2000 to 2004 period has the lowest multiyear value, and the 1915 to 1919 period has the highest.
   

d)

Observed Number of Extreme Precipitation Events
Graph of the observed annual number of 2-inch extreme precipitation events for Minnesota from 1900 to 2020 as described in the caption. Y-axis values range from 0.0 to 2.5 days. Annual values show year-to-year variability and range from 0.3 to 2.1 days. Multiyear values also show variability and are above the long-term average of 1.0 days between 1900 and 1909, all below average between 1910 and 1939, and mostly near or below average between 1940 and 1979. Since 1980, multiyear values are all near or above average, with an upward trend beginning in the late 2000s. The 1930 to 1934 period has the lowest multiyear value, and the 1900 to 1904 and 2015 to 2020 periods have the highest.
Figure 2: Observed annual number of (a) hot days (maximum temperature of 90°F or higher), (b) warm nights (minimum temperature of 70°F or higher), (c) very cold days (maximum temperature of 0°F or lower), and (d) 2-inch extreme precipitation events (days with precipitation of 2 inches or more) for Minnesota from 1900 to 2020. Dots show annual values. Bars show averages over 5-year periods (last bar is a 6-year average). The horizontal black lines show the long-term (entire period) averages: (a) 11 days, (b) 3.5 nights, (c) 4.7 days, (d) 1.0 days. Since 1990, Minnesota has experienced a below average number of hot days. The number of warm nights peaked during the 1930s and shows no long-term trend. Since 1980, the number of very cold days has been near or below average. The number of 2-inch extreme precipitation events was above the long-term average during the most recent 6-year period (2015–2020); a typical station experiences about 1 event per year. Sources: CISESS and NOAA NCEI. Data: (a, b, c) GHCN-Daily from 21 long-term stations; (d) GHCN-Daily from 25 long-term stations.
   
Ice-Out Date on Lake Osakis
Line graph of the annual ice out dates for Lake Osakis, Minnesota from 1867 to 2020 as described in the caption. Y-axis intervals for ice-out dates are March 16, March 31, April 16, April 30, and May 16. Annual values show wide variability, with the earliest date being March 13 in 1878 and the latest being May 14 in 1950. Ice-out dates earlier than April 16 were rare prior to the early 1910s but occurred more frequently thereafter, with the exception of an interval between the early 1930s and mid-1980s, when ice-out dates generally occurred between April 16 and April 30. Since the mid-1980s, ice-out dates have shown larger variability, occurring mostly between March 31 and April 30. A downward trend is evident across the entire period.
Figure 3: Annual changes in ice-out dates for Lake Osakis (blue line) from 1867 to 2020. The black line shows the long-term trend. Lake Osakis ice-out dates have been getting earlier over the last few decades, with 3 of the 5 earliest dates occurring since 2000. Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

Total annual precipitation in Minnesota has been above the long-term (1895–2020) average since 1990 (Figure 4). The number of 2-inch extreme precipitation events has been mostly above average since 1985, with the 2015–2020 period having the highest recorded multiyear average (Figure 2d). Annual average precipitation, including rainfall and the water equivalent found in snowfall, ranges from 23 inches in the far northwest to more than 35 inches in the southeast. Nearly two-thirds of annual precipitation falls during the growing season (May through September). However, occasional drought is a natural feature of the climate, occurring when anomalous circulation patterns bring in dry air from the interior of North America.

   
Observed Annual Precipitation
Graph of the observed total annual precipitation for Minnesota from 1895 to 2020 as described in the caption. Y-axis values range from 15 to 40 inches. Annual values show year-to-year variability and range from about 15 to 36 inches. Multiyear values also show variability and are all above the long-term average of 26.4 inches between 1895 and 1909 but are all below average between 1910 and 1939. Between 1940 and 1989, multiyear values are mostly near or above average, and since 1990, they are all above average. The 1930 to 1934 period has the lowest multiyear value, and 2015 to 2020 has the highest.
Figure 4: Observed total annual precipitation for Minnesota from 1895 to 2020. Dots show annual values. Bars show averages over 5-year periods (last bar is a 6-year average). The horizontal black line shows the long-term (entire period) average of 26.4 inches. The driest multiyear periods were in the 1910s through the 1930s, and the wettest were from the 1990s to the present. The driest consecutive 5-year interval was 1932–1936, and the wettest was 2015–2019. Sources: CISESS and NOAA NCEI. Data: nClimDiv.

Between 2000 and 2012, extreme weather events (including extreme drought, summer heat waves, severe storms, heavy rain and flooding, and tornadoes) caused more than $4 billion in property damages. In general, thunderstorms cause more property damage in Minnesota than any other type of extreme event. The annual frequency of thunderstorm days is roughly 45 days in the southern part of the state and 30 days along the northern border. Due to Minnesota’s northern location, heat waves are infrequent but can have severe consequences for populations less acclimatized to these events. Between 1995 and 2012, excessive heat events occurred most frequently in the central and southern counties (Figure 5). Since 2000, the number of very heavy rains (6 inches or more in a day) has been 2 to 3 times higher than in the 20th century.

   
Number of Extreme Heat Events by County 1995-2012
A county-level map of Minnesota shows the total number of declared extreme heat events from 1995 to 2012. A legend to the right of the map provides the following total ranges: white for 0 events, light green for 1 to 3, olive green for 4 to 5, bright green for 6 to 7, and dark green for 8 to 9. National Weather Service Station Areas are outlined in black on the map. Counties north of and including Big Stone, Traverse, Grant, Otter Tail, Wadena, Cass, Crow Wing, Aitkin, and Pine had 1 to 3 events, with the exception of Koochiching, Itasca, and Cook counties, which had 0 events. The counties of Douglas, Lincoln, Lyon, Pipestone, Murray, Cottonwood, Rock, Nobles, Jackson, Wabasha, Olmsted, Winona, Mower, Fillmore, and Houston had 4 to 5 events, and Hennepin county had 8 to 9 events. All of the remaining counties had 6 to 7 events.
Figure 5: Total number of extreme heat events by county for Minnesota from 1995 to 2012. Excessive heat events occurred more frequently in counties located in central and southern Minnesota. Source: Minnesota Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment. Data: NCEI Storm Events Database. Used with permission of Minnesota Department of Health.

Under a higher emissions pathway, historically unprecedented warming is projected during this century (Figure 1). Even under a lower emissions pathway, annual average temperatures are projected to most likely exceed historical record levels by the middle of this century. However, a large range of temperature increases is projected under both pathways, and under the lower pathway, a few projections are only slightly warmer than historical records. Increases in the number of extremely hot days and decreases in the number of extremely cold days are projected to accompany the overall warming.

Annual average precipitation is projected to increase, with increases most likely occurring in winter and spring (Figure 6). Minnesota is part of a large area of the Northern Hemisphere in the higher mid-latitudes projected to see increases. Increases in intense rainfall are also expected. Despite these increases in precipitation, it is possible that future droughts will be more intense because of higher temperatures, which will increase the rate of soil moisture loss. In 2007, 24 counties in Minnesota received federal drought designations, while 7 counties were declared flood disasters. And in 2012, 55 counties received drought designations, while 11 counties were declared flood emergencies. Recent events demonstrate the likelihood of simultaneous increases in both flooding and drought severity within the state.

   
Projected Change in Spring Precipitation
Map of the contiguous United States showing the projected changes in total spring precipitation by the middle of this century as described in the caption. Values range from less than minus 20 to greater than positive 15 percent. Spring precipitation is projected to increase across most of the northern half of the United States, particularly in the Northern Great Plains, Midwest, and Northeast. Most of these projected increases are statistically significant across these areas. The projected change in spring precipitation is uncertain in central Colorado. The greatest decreases are projected for the Southwest United States. The entire state of Minnesota is expected to see an increase of greater than 15 percent, with a statistically significant increase projected for all but a portion of the south-central region.
Figure 6: Projected changes in total spring (March–May) precipitation (%) for the middle of the 21st century compared to the late 20th century under a higher emissions pathway. The whited-out area indicates that the climate models are uncertain about the direction of change. Hatching represents areas where the majority of climate models indicate a statistically significant change. Minnesota is part of a large area of projected increases across the northern United States. Sources: CISESS and NEMAC. Data: CMIP5.

Details on observations and projections are available on the Technical Details and Additional Information page.

Lead Authors
Jennifer Runkle, Cooperative Institute for Satellite Earth System Studies (CISESS)
Kenneth E. Kunkel, Cooperative Institute for Satellite Earth System Studies (CISESS)
Contributing Authors
Rebekah Frankson, Cooperative Institute for Satellite Earth System Studies (CISESS)
David R. Easterling, NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
Sarah M. Champion, Cooperative Institute for Satellite Earth System Studies (CISESS)
Recommended Citation
Runkle, J., K.E. Kunkel, R. Frankson, D.R. Easterling, S.M. Champion, 2022: Minnesota State Climate Summary 2022. NOAA Technical Report NESDIS 150-MN. NOAA/NESDIS, Silver Spring, MD, 4 pp.

RESOURCES

  • Hayhoe, K., D.J. Wuebbles, D.R. Easterling, D.W. Fahey, S. Doherty, J. Kossin, W. Sweet, R. Vose, and M. Wehner, 2018: Our changing climate. In: Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States: Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume II. Reidmiller, D.R., C.W. Avery, D.R. Easterling, K.E. Kunkel, K.L.M. Lewis, T.K. Maycock, and B.C. Stewart, Eds. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, 72–144. https://nca2018.globalchange.gov/chapter/2/
  • Kunkel, K.E., L.E. Stevens, S.E. Stevens, L. Sun, E. Janssen, D. Wuebbles, S.D. Hilberg, M.S. Timlin, L. Stoecker, N.E. Westcott, and J.G. Dobson, 2013: Regional Climate Trends and Scenarios for the U.S. National Climate Assessment Part 3. Climate of the Midwest U.S. NOAA Technical Report NESDIS 142-3. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service, Silver Spring, MD, 103 pp. https://nesdis-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/migrated/NOAA_NESDIS_Tech_Report_142-3-Climate_of_the_Midwest_US.pdf
  • MDH, 2014: Minnesota Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment 2014. Minnesota Department of Health, St. Paul, MN, 100 pp. https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/climate/docs/mnclimvulnreport.pdf
  • MDH, n.d.: Climate Change Overview. Minnesota Department of Health, St. Paul, MN. https://web.archive.org/web/20160504230727/http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/climatechange/climate101.html
  • Minnesota DNR, n.d.: Climate Frequently Asked Questions. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, St. Paul, MN. https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/climate/faqs.html
  • Minnesota DNR, n.d.: Climate’s Impact on Water Availability. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, St. Paul, MN. http://dnr.state.mn.us/climate/water_availability.html
  • Minnesota EQB, 2014: Minnesota and Climate Change: Our Tomorrow Starts Today. Minnesota Environmental Quality Board, St. Paul, MN, 15 pp. https://www.eqb.state.mn.us/minnesota-and-climate-change-our-tomorrow-starts-today
  • MNHS, 2015: Natural Disasters in Minnesota. Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul, MN. https://web.archive.org/web/20160417201258/http://www.mnhs.org/shpo/disaster/disaster2.php
  • NOAA NCDC, n.d.: Climate of Minnesota. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Climatic Data Center, Asheville, NC, 5 pp. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/data/climate-normals-deprecated/access/clim60/states/Clim_MN_01.pdf
  • NOAA NCEI, n.d.: Climate at a Glance: Statewide Time Series, Minnesota. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Centers for Environmental Information, Asheville, NC, accessed April 20, 2021. https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cag/statewide/time-series/21/
  • NOAA NCEI, n.d.: State Climate Extremes Committee (SCEC): Records. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Centers for Environmental Information, Asheville, NC. http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/extremes/scec/records
  • Tompkins, F. and C. DeConcini, 2014: Fact Sheet: The Climate Change Connection to U.S. Public Health. World Resources Institute, Washington, DC, 6 pp. https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/WRI14_Factsheets_US_Public_Health_0.pdf
  • Vose, R.S., D.R. Easterling, K.E. Kunkel, A.N. LeGrande, and M.F. Wehner, 2017: Temperature changes in the United States. In: Climate Science Special Report: Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume I. Wuebbles, D.J., D.W. Fahey, K.A. Hibbard, D.J. Dokken, B.C. Stewart, and T.K. Maycock, Eds. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, 185–206. http://doi.org/10.7930/J0N29V45

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