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 75 degrees F in 2020, 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 2020 11 3 75 33 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 2022 11 8 50 35 0.31 0.0 0 --------------------------------------------------------- average 48 31 highest 70 48 0.53 0.8 0 lowest 28 9 0 0 0 (temperatures in degrees F)