July 2026 started off with a major rainfall event, and it ended with one too, as very heavy rain soaked a large area along and near the Minnesota River valley.
Slow-moving and regenerating thunderstorms with heavy rain affected much of Minnesota from late on July 30th into the afternoon of July 31st, but the heaviest rains fell over the southwestern third of the state between 7 PM and 7 AM. During this time, some areas received at least a half-inch of rain per hour for five or more hours, with hourly rainfall totals of 1-2 inches common occasionally in the hardest-hit areas. The main complex of rain and thunderstorms spread to Interstate 94 and the Twin Cities area, though the heaviest and most persistent rains were centered over the entirety of the Minnesota River valley.
The highest total reported anywhere in the state was 6.80 inches reported by a CoCoRaHS observer near Raymond in Chippewa County. Other totals exceeding six inches were reported from the same network near Bird Island, Brownton, and Le Sueur, with amounts of 3-6 inches from Ortonville, to Willmar, to Glencoe, to Owatonna. The National Weather Service observer at the Brownton Wastewater Treatment Plant in McLeod County reported 5.56 inches. Among the major "first-order" climate stations, Duluth received 2.41 inches, Rochester 2.35 inches, and the Twin Cities measured 1.53 inches at the airport, setting a daily precipitation record for the date.
The intense rains led to some flash flooding, though the impacts were mostly minor because dry summer conditions had depleted soil moisture. Additionally, the heaviest rains generally fell in the parts of Minnesota that had the lowest levels of drought severity. Although pockets of northern Minnesota also received heavy rain, the areas with the worst drought conditions largely missed out on the heaviest rains.
Posted August 4, 2026
KAB