Northwest Minnesota - MN01

Included Counties: Kittson, Roseau, Marshall, Pennington, Red Lake, Polk, Clearwater, Norman, Mahnomen, Clay, Becker

Watersheds:

Mississippi Headwaters, Crow Wing, Redeye, Otter Tail, Upper Red, Buffalo, Elm-Marsh, Eastern Wild Rice, Sandhill-Wilson, Red Lakes, Red Lake, Thief, Clearwater, Grand Marais-Red, Snake, Lower Red, Two Rivers, Roseau, Lake of the Woods

Northwest Minnesota experiences a very cold continental climate, with mild summers and bitterly cold winters. Due to its location near the center of the continent, its weather varies wildly, and each of the four seasons have distinct characteristics. Minnesota is the driest state in the Midwest, and the northwestern region is drier still. Average annual precipitation is approximately 20 inches (51 cm). Winters are brutally cold in comparison to the rest of the continental United States, with temperatures often reaching well below freezing and records as low as -60°F (-51 °C). Snow is the main form of winter precipitation, but freezing rain, sleet, and occasionally rain are all possible during the winter months. Alberta clippers or Panhandle hooks; common storm systems for the area, often develop into blizzards. The Spring sees rapid transition in temperature and precipitation. Snowstorms are common early in the spring, but by late-spring severe storms with liquid or mixed precipitation are expected, a risk which diminishes but remains present through the summer and fall. Summers are warm and humid, on average, reaching the upper-70s F (25°C). Fall weather is highly variable and is notorious for rapid, large swings in daily temperature and precipitation. By late October and November, autumn weather patterns become strong enough to form major winter storms.