Minnesota Weather & Climate Guide 2026

Minnesota, the Land of 10,000 Lakes, stretches from the bluffs and river valleys of the Mississippi's headwaters in the north to the rolling prairies and twin-cities metropolitan energy of the south. Minneapolis and Saint Paul together form one of the most livable metro areas in the United States — renowned for a world-class arts scene anchored by the Walker Art Center and Minnesota Orchestra, a craft beer culture rivaling any city its size, and skyway-connected neighborhoods that let residents and visitors move in comfort year-round. Beyond the cities, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness offers 1 million acres of roadless lakes and forest, the North Shore of Lake Superior delivers dramatic basalt cliffs and waterfalls, and the Iron Range preserves gritty mining heritage amid boreal pines.

Minnesota has a classic humid continental climate with wide temperature swings between seasons. Summers are warm and humid (July highs average 84°F/29°C in Minneapolis); winters are long and cold (January lows average 4°F/-16°C in Minneapolis, colder in the north). Spring arrives late — May can still see frost — while autumn brings brilliant foliage from late September through mid-October. The state averages 43 inches of annual precipitation, including 40–50 inches of snowfall in the Twin Cities and 100+ inches in the Lake Superior Snowbelt near Lutsen.