Minneapolis, MN Climate & Monthly Averages
The climate of Minneapolis
Cold is the baseline in Minneapolis, not the exception. Night-time lows sit at or below freezing in 5 months of the year, and the warmest month, July, still only averages 83°F (28°C) by day. January runs to 8°F (-13°C) after dark.
Climate quick facts
- Hottest month: July - highs near 83°F (28°C)
- Coldest month: January - highs near 24°F (-4°C)
- Decade extremes (2015-2024): 99°F (37°C) high · -37°F (-38°C) low
- Wettest month: May (12 rainy days) · Sunniest: July (12.8 h sun/day)
- Climate type: humid continental
- Annual swing: 32°C between the average warmest and coolest month · day to night: 10°C
- Snow: about 23 days a year
- Months with freezing average lows: 5
- Average humidity: 70%
Temperatures through the year
Warmth peaks in July: highs of 83°F (28°C), lows of 64°F (18°C). January bottoms out at 24°F (-4°C) in daylight, 8°F (-13°C) after dark. Across the gridded 2015-2024 daily record, the highest daily maximum for this location was 99°F (37°C) and the lowest daily minimum -37°F (-38°C). Three of the twelve months pair mild highs with fewer than twelve wet days; the longest unbroken run is August through September.
Rain, sun and snow
Sunshine averages 8.6 hours a day over the year, peaking in July at 12.8 hours. Snow falls on roughly 23 days a year, mostly October through April.
How Minneapolis compares
- Its warmest and coolest months are 32°C apart - a wider seasonal swing than any other city in our 3496-city dataset.
- Minneapolis averages 46°F (8°C) across the year - cooler than all but 4% of the 3496 cities we track.
Ranked against every city in our dataset, each measured on the same ten-year window.
Monthly climate table
| Month | High | Low | Rain days | Precipitation | Sunshine | Daylight | Wet-day chance | Humidity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24° | 8° | 5 | 1.0 in | 5.6 h/day | 9.1 h | 16% | 77% |
| February | 28° | 8° | 6 | 1.2 in | 7.7 h/day | 10.3 h | 19% | 72% |
| March | 43° | 24° | 8 | 2.1 in | 8.1 h/day | 11.8 h | 24% | 67% |
| April | 54° | 34° | 11 | 3.3 in | 8.5 h/day | 13.4 h | 36% | 66% |
| May | 69° | 49° | 12 | 5.1 in | 10.4 h/day | 14.8 h | 40% | 65% |
| June | 80° | 60° | 11 | 4.5 in | 12.2 h/day | 15.6 h | 36% | 65% |
| July | 83° | 64° | 10 | 4.1 in | 12.8 h/day | 15.3 h | 31% | 70% |
| August | 80° | 62° | 11 | 4.7 in | 11.0 h/day | 14.1 h | 36% | 72% |
| September | 74° | 57° | 10 | 3.5 in | 9.6 h/day | 12.5 h | 32% | 71% |
| October | 58° | 42° | 10 | 3.6 in | 7.3 h/day | 10.9 h | 31% | 69% |
| November | 43° | 29° | 8 | 2.0 in | 5.8 h/day | 9.5 h | 27% | 72% |
| December | 30° | 15° | 8 | 1.9 in | 4.6 h/day | 8.8 h | 25% | 77% |
Minneapolis month by month
Average high and low for each month, with the bar showing where it sits in Minneapolis's year (left is the coldest night, right is the warmest afternoon).
January
- Rain
- 5 days
- Sunshine
- 5.6 h
- Daylight
- 9.1 h
- Snow
- 4 days
February
- Rain
- 6 days
- Sunshine
- 7.7 h
- Daylight
- 10.3 h
- Snow
- 4 days
March
- Rain
- 8 days
- Sunshine
- 8.1 h
- Daylight
- 11.8 h
- Snow
- 4 days
April
- Rain
- 11 days
- Sunshine
- 8.5 h
- Daylight
- 13.4 h
- Snow
- 2 days
May
- Rain
- 12 days
- Sunshine
- 10.4 h
- Daylight
- 14.8 h
June
- Rain
- 11 days
- Sunshine
- 12.2 h
- Daylight
- 15.6 h
July
- Rain
- 10 days
- Sunshine
- 12.8 h
- Daylight
- 15.3 h
August
- Rain
- 11 days
- Sunshine
- 11.0 h
- Daylight
- 14.1 h
September
- Rain
- 10 days
- Sunshine
- 9.6 h
- Daylight
- 12.5 h
October
- Rain
- 10 days
- Sunshine
- 7.3 h
- Daylight
- 10.9 h
- Snow
- 1 day
November
- Rain
- 8 days
- Sunshine
- 5.8 h
- Daylight
- 9.5 h
- Snow
- 3 days
December
- Rain
- 8 days
- Sunshine
- 4.6 h
- Daylight
- 8.8 h
- Snow
- 5 days
Warmer places to go, by month: January · February · March · April · May · June · July · August · September · October · November · December
Seasons in Minneapolis
Spring (March through May)
Spring in Minneapolis runs cool rather than cold, with daytime highs averaging 55°F (13°C) and nights around 35°F (2°C); rain falls on around 31 of the 90 days, plus about 6 snowy days.
Summer (June through August)
Through summer, Minneapolis runs hot: 81°F (27°C) by day, 62°F (17°C) after dark, and rain falls on around 31 of the 90 days. Daylight is generous - around 12.0 hours of sun a day.
Fall (September through November)
Through fall, Minneapolis is mild: 58°F (15°C) by day, 43°F (6°C) after dark, and expect showers on roughly 27 days across the season, plus about 4 snowy days.
Winter (December through February)
Through winter, Minneapolis runs to hard cold: 27°F (-3°C) by day, 10°F (-12°C) after dark, and expect showers on roughly 18 days across the season, plus about 13 snowy days. Wind sharpens cold like this considerably; pair the forecast winds with the wind speed converter to judge exposed conditions.
Climate questions, answered
How cold does Minneapolis get in winter?
Is Minneapolis hot in summer?
When does Minneapolis drop below freezing?
How often does it rain in Minneapolis?
Best time to visit Minneapolis
Aim for June to September if you get the choice: these are the warmest and brightest weeks of the year, and highs average 79°F (26°C) against roughly 10 wet days a month. For the same question asked the other way round, see where else is warm in June.
Pack for Minneapolis with light clothing for the warm months, a heavy insulated coat, hat and gloves for winter and a compact umbrella or rain shell. Even in July, lows of 64°F (18°C) make an extra layer worth the space.
Minneapolis temperature records (2015-2024)
Derived from ERA5 reanalysis data, 2015–2024. Official station records may differ. Need the precipitation in other units? The mm-to-inches rainfall converter handles it.