Minnesota Annual Rainfall and Climate Data, see below for individual cities 

 Minnesota Average Annual Precipitation

Minnesota city precipitation totals

City Avg Annual Precip Avg Snow Annual Avg. days of Precip Avg # thunderstorm days Avg # hail days Avg # severe thunderstorm watches per year Avg # tornado watches per year # of tornadoes reported in county, 1960-2010
Duluth 31.00 81.3 134 34 1 3 10 27
International Falls 23.93 65.4 131 33 1 3 7 4
Minneapolis-St Paul 29.41 49.7 115 37 1 5 10 24
Rochester 31.40 48.4 118 41 1 5 11 28
St Cloud 27.13 44.4 109 43 3 5 13 35
  • Minnesota Annual Precipitation Average - 27.44 inches, 37th wettest state in the U.S.
  • Minnesota Tornado Average - 18.9 per year - 18th most in the U.S.
  • Largest reported Tornado in Minnesota from 1950-2011, 8/6/1969 - 2,933 yards / 1.66 miles wide
  • Date with highest number of reported Tornadoes in Minnesota from 1950-2011, June 17th - 62 tornadoes
  • Average time of occurrence of reported Tornadoes in Minnesota from 1950-2011 - 4:37 pm
  • Minnesota Annual Lightning Density - 4.6 flashes per square mile - 33rd highest in U.S.
  • Record Driest year in Minnesota from 1895-2012 - 1910, avg precipitation 14.65 inches 
  • Record Wettest year in Minnesota from 1895-2012 - 2010, avg precipitation 34.40 inches   

Minnesota Precipitation Records

  • Driest location ranked by least annual average precipitation: Karlstad, northwestern Minnesota, 18.56"
  • Wettest location ranked by highest annual average precipitation: Caledonia, southeastern Minnesota, 34.99"
  • Snowiest location ranked by highest annual average snowfall: Duluth, northern Minnesota,  83.3"
  • State precipitation record for 24 hours - Hokah, southeastern Minnesota, 8/18-19/2007, 15.10"
  • State precipitation record for 1 year - St, Francis, east-central Minnesota, 1991, 52.52"
  • State snowfall record for 24 hours -  Wolf Ridge, northeast Minnesota, 1/6-7/1994, 36.0" 
  • State snow record for 1 season - Pigeon River Bridge, northern Minnesota, 1936-1937, 147.5"
  • On January 21, 1982, the second of two major snowstorms to hit southern Minnesota came to an end. Minneapolis received 20 inches of snow in 24 hours to break the previous record of 17 inches in 24 hours established just a few  days earlier. A record 38 inches of snow covered the ground following the two storms, with drifts ten feet high. 

Data sources: National Climatic Data Center, severe thunderstorm / tornado watch data period is 1999 - 2008, NOAA Storm Prediction Center, Tornado climate data - NOAA Storm Prediction Center, State lightning flash density average - 1997-2011, Vaisala