Climate - Minneapolis (Minnesota)

The climate of Minneapolis, the main city of Minnesota, is continental, with very cold winters and hot summers, during which there are quite frequent thunderstorms.
The city is located in the Midwest of the United States, to the west of the Great Lakes, and at the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers. Less than 15 km (9 mi) away is the city of Saint Paul, the state capital. In fact, the two cities are merged, and are called "the twin cities".
Minneapolis is famous for being a cold city, and in fact, in winter it is the coldest of the great American cities. For comparison, it is colder than all European capitals, including Moscow. However, there are also noticeable changes in temperature in spring and autumn, and heat waves in summer.
The average temperature of the coldest month (January) is of -9.1 °C (16 °F), that of the warmest month (July) is of 23.2 °C (74 °F). Here are the average temperatures.

Precipitation amounts to 780 millimeters (30.7 inches) per year: so, it is at an intermediate level. It ranges from 20 mm (0.8 in) in the driest month (February) to 110 mm (4.3 in) in the wettest ones (June, August). Here is the average precipitation.

The winter, from mid-November to mid-March, is very cold, with temperatures normally below freezing even during the day.
Cold waves are intense. The temperature drops below -20 °C (-4 °F) every year, and once every few years even below -30 °C (-22 °F). The record is -35.5 °C (-32 °F), recorded in January 1963, January 1977 and February 1996. In January 1977, the monthly average was -17.3 °C (0.85 °F). In recent years, -30 °C (-22 °F) has been reached more rarely, however, in January 2019 the temperature dropped to -33.5 °C (-28 °F).
Snowfalls are frequent, and can sometimes be abundant. In one year, 138 centimeters (54 inches) of snow fall. It usually snows from November to April. On January 22, 1982, 43.5 cm (17 in) of snow fell in one day, while on November 1, 1991, 47 cm (18.5 in) fell.

Summer, from June to August, is hot and sunny, although thunderstorms can break out in the afternoon.
There can sometimes be very hot periods. Typically, the temperature reaches 35/36 °C (95/97 °F) on the hottest days of the year, although the record is 40.5 °C (105 °F), recorded in August 1988.

Spring and autumn, from mid-March to May and from September to mid-November, are contrasted seasons, with fairly frequent rains and sudden changes in temperature. Especially in spring, there can be a change from cold to hot weather in a few days and vice versa. Sometimes, snow or sleet can fall in late April or even in early May, while in late May the temperature can reach 35 °C (95 °F).
Minneapolis is located in the area where tornadoes can form, which are most likely in spring, but can occasionally occur in autumn as well.



On average, there are around 2,710 sunshine hours per year. Therefore, despite the harsh climate, the city receives a good amount of sunshine. Here are the average sunshine hours per day.

Best Time

The best time to visit Minneapolis is early autumn, from September to early October. You can also choose spring, in particular the month of May, which however is a more unstable period.
From June to August, the heat can be acceptable, but at times it can be intense.