Soaking Rains in Minnesota for the last Week of April 2026
The last week of April 2026 featured a long duration soggy rain event that put a dent in the drought but also caused flooding in northeast Minnesota with elevated water levels on lakes in the Boundary Waters. Many reports of one to two inches were common over a period of three days from April 26 to 28th in a swath from southwest Minnesota to northeast parts of the state. The rain fell in two parts. Rain associated with a cold front affected the state on the 25th and 26. A large area of low pressure moved from western Iowa on the 27th to northern Lake Superior by the 28th and dumped the heaviest rain. Most of Minnesota saw a half inch of precipitation or more, the only area that missed out was in the far northwest.
The rain was most welcome in southwest Minnesota with three-day totals of 2.69 inches at Windom and 2.57 inches at Worthington. In Northeast Minnesota, it was too much of a good thing with some of the higher totals were 2.28 inches at Two Harbors, 2.22 inches at Floodwood, 2.15 inches at Wolf Ridge and 2.10 inches at Embarrass.
Posted May 7. 2026
PJB