Overview:
Lake Itasca is a small glacial lake located in north-central Minnesota, notable for being the headwaters of the Mississippi River. The lake is located within the Itasca State Park, which spans nearly 33,000 acres and is the second oldest state park in the U.S. The terrain in the area has been described as “knob and kettle,” referring to mounds and depressions in the landscape formed by glaciers. The observing station is located at the University of Minnesota Itasca Biological Station, located inside the park.
With little in the way of natural barriers, the climate of the region is heavily influenced by the influx of air masses, such as warm air masses flowing northward from the Gulf of Mexico during the summer, and polar air streams extending south from Canada during the winter. The tropical winds from the Gulf help create warm to hot temperatures during the summer months, though clashes between these moist air masses and colder polar air from the north lead to frequent thunderstorms and showers. Snowfall is common in the winter, though snowfall levels are lower than in the snow belt region to the east on the edges of Lake Superior.
State/ Province ID: MN
Station ID: C00214106
Directory Name: ITASCA_UNIV_OF_MINN_HCN_MN_C00214106
Elevation: 454.20m