Overview:
Minneapolis is the largest city in the state of Minnesota, and it forms half of the Twin Cities metropolitan area alongside neighboring city and state capital Saint Paul. The Twin Cities are located on an artesian aquifer at the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers. Water is prevalent in the region, with thirteen lakes found within 5 acres of the Minneapolis city boundaries, in addition to the two major rivers and several wetlands, creeks, and large ponds.
The Twin Cities’ climate is continental, with wide swings in temperature occurring from summer to winter. Summers are warm to hot and often humid. Temperatures in certain areas can spike up to 9°F warmer than neighboring communities due to the urban heat island effect. Winters are cold and snowy, and the region reports the coldest average temperatures of any major metropolitan area in the U.S. Cold arctic air masses are often transported south toward the region during the winter, due to the surrounding flat terrain with no natural barriers to block it. Thunderstorms bringing heavy rainfall are common in the spring, summer, and autumn, with nearly half of annual precipitation typically occurring during the summer months of July to August. Snow is frequent in the winter, with an annual average snowfall of over 54 inches.
State/ Province ID: MN
Station ID: W00014922
Directory Name: MINNEAPOLIS_ST_PAUL_AP_GSN_HCN_MN_W00014922
Elevation: 265.80m
Climatology PDF: Array