Severe storms are rolling through central Minnesota including the Twin Cities

MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all. 

Turn Up Your Support

The drought of 2023 continues to deepen in Minnesota. For the third straight summer, somebody flipped the rainfall switch to the off position across most of our state. 

More than 98 percent of Minnesota is now in drought according to 

this week’s U.S. Drought Monitor update.

 Extreme to exceptional drought now covers much of central and southeastern Minnesota. 

And a growing part of Minnesota is in severe to exceptional drought. Check out these numbers from this week’s report:

Here is the discussion from this week’s report about the region around Minnesota: 

Multi-inch rainfall deficits compared to average continue to deepen around much of Minnesota. Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport has recorded just 17.43 inches of precipitation so far in 2023. That’s more than 7 inches below the average to date.  

The southwestern half of Minnesota has recorded less than 25 percent of average rainfall over the past 30 days. 

Northeastern Minnesota has had ample rainfall, but many areas have recorded less than one-half inch in the southwest. 

A cool front brings scattered rain and thunderstorms across Minnesota Thursday night into Friday. Forecast models suggest a wetter pattern may develop by late next week.

Weather and Climate News

Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Paul Huttner

Author

Multi-inch rainfall deficits growing across most of Minnesota. 

More than 5 million Minnesotans now live in the drought zone

Twin Cities National Weather Service office

USDA/UNL

30-day precipitation departure from average 2

Midwest Regional Climate Center

30-day precipitation departure from average 

More than 5 million Minnesotans now live in the drought zone

Go Deeper.

Like this?