Presidential Election Day weather (and midterm elections too)

Not surprisingly, Minnesotans have endured the full range of early November weather on Election Day. We've had cool weather, warm weather, downpours, thunderstorms, fog, sleet, snow, and bright blue skies.

Going back to 1892, the presidential election weather in the Twin Cities has included a low of 9 degrees F in 1932, a high of 71 degrees F in 2008, 1.51 inches of precipitation in 1932, and 1.2 inches of snow in both 1992 and 2000. The snow in 1992 came on the tail end of a large, multi-day snowstorm that brought six inches or more to most of Minnesota, with over 9 inches in the Twin Cities, and over a foot in Waseca, Cambridge, Collegeville, Duluth, and International Falls. Despite the inclement weather, voter turnout reported by the Secretary of State in 1992 was 73.9%--higher than any year since 1968 and until 2004.  The next presidential election in 1996 had much less hazardous weather--temperatures were above freezing, with no snow on the ground--yet turnout was only around 67 percent.

On average, Election Day high temperatures range from near 40 degrees F in International Falls, to 49 degrees in the Twin Cities, with lows ranging from the 20s F in northern Minnesota, to the 34 F in the Twin Cities. The tables below show the historical weather in the Twin Cities for presidential election back to 1892, and for mid-term election (held every four years, in the middle of the presidential term), back to 1910.

Twin Cities Presidential Election Day Weather
year	month	day	max    min     pre   snowfall snow 
                       temp   temp     (in)    (in)   depth (in)
---------------------------------------------------------	
1892	11	8	31	9	T	T	M
1896	11	3	40	30	0.00	0	M
1900	11	6	44	33	T	0.2	0
1904	11	8	48	28	0.00	0	0
1908	11	3	49	35	0.00	0	0
1912	11	5	54	34	T	0	0
1916	11	7	49	40	0.36	0	0
1920	11	2	38	31	0.05	T	0
1924	11	4	50	32	0.00	0	0
1928	11	6	55	39	T	0	0
1932	11	8	51	37	1.51	0	0
1936	11	3	28	16	T	0.2	T
1940	11	5	41	30	0.07	0	0
1944	11	7	59	45	0.13	0	0
1948	11	2	68	44	0.00	0	0
1952	11	4	60	35	0.00	0	0
1956	11	6	49	38	0.04	0	0
1960	11	8	45	23	0.02	T	0
1964	11	3	60	51	0.06	0	0
1968	11	5	44	35	0.10	T	0
1972	11	7	41	31	0.02	0.2	0
1976	11	2	57	43	0.00	0	0
1980	11	4	51	38	0.00	0	0
1984	11	6	53	22	0.00	0	0
1988	11	8	52	32	T	0	0
1992	11	3	34	32	0.22	1.2	6
1996	11	5	45	41	0.00	0	0
2000	11	7	50	30	0.14	1.2	0
2004	11	2	49	34	0.06	0	0
2008	11	4	71	51	0.00	0	0
2012	11	6	44	38	0.31	0	0
2016	11	8	59	39	0.00	0	0
----------------------------------------------------------
average			49	34			
highest			71	51	1.51	1.2	6
lowest			28	9	0	0	0
(temperatures in degrees F)

 

Midterm Elections data:
year	month	day	max    min     pre   snowfall snow 
                        temp   temp    (in)    (in)   depth (in)
---------------------------------------------------------
1910	11	7	44	25	0	0	0
1914	11 	3	63	44	T	0	0
1918	11 	5	59	48	0.04	0	0
1922	11 	7	41	38	0.01	0	0
1926	11 	2	35	25	0.02	0.1	T
1930	11 	4	56	29	0.00	0	0
1934	11 	6	70	39	0.00	0	0
1938	11 	8	38	20	0.00	0	0
1942	11 	3	45	22	0.00	0	0
1946	11 	5	57	28	0.00	0	0
1950	11 	7	47	31	0.00	0	0
1954	11 	2	35	22	T	T	1.0
1958	11 	4	59	38	0.00	0	0
1962	11 	6	52	27	0.00	0	0
1966	11 	8	30	25	0.00	0	0
1970	11 	3	43	34	0.53	0.6	T
1974	11 	5	40	29	0.00	0	0
1978	11 	7	56	30	0.00	0	0
1982	11 	2	54	34	0.11	0	0
1986	11 	4	43	22	0.00	0	0
1990	11 	6	39	24	0.00	0	T
1994	11 	8	51	29	0.00	0	0
1998	11 	3	42	29	0.00	0	0
2002	11 	5 	36	29	0.04	0.8	0
2006	11 	7 	61	44	T	0	0
2010	11 	2 	56	34	0.00	0	0
2014	11 	4  	53	37	0.00	0	0
2018    11      6       43      29      0.30    0.1     0
---------------------------------------------------------
average			48	31
highest			70	48	0.53	0.8	0
lowest			28	9	0	0	0
(temperatures in degrees F)
Last modified: November 2, 2020. With thanks to Climatology Volunteer Cara Foster.

 

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