Minneapolis, MN Climate & Monthly Averages
Minneapolis has a humid continental climate. July is the hottest month, averaging 83° by day; January is the coldest at 24°.
Winter sets the pace in 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.
July
83° by day 64° at nightJanuary
24° by day 8° at nightThe cold-weather pattern in numbers
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.
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.
More climate facts for Minneapolis
- 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%
From snow season to the warmest stretch 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.
The coldest and warmest values in the dataset
Derived from ERA5 reanalysis data, 2015–2024. Official station records may differ. Need another precipitation unit? Use the rainfall converter.
Planning around winter in Minneapolis
The easier weather window
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.
Cold-weather packing
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.
Monthly highs, lows and seasonal change
| 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% |
The route from winter to summer, month by month
Each card shows the average high and low. The bar places that month between Minneapolis's coldest night and 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
Looking for warmer alternatives? Browse warm places by month, or compare Minneapolis's coolest part of the year: January, February, December.
Where Minneapolis sits among other climates
- 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.
These comparisons use the same ten-year window for every city in the dataset.