A monthly electronic newsletter summarizing Minnesota's climate conditions and the resulting impact on water resources. Distributed on the first Thursday of the month.
State Climatology Office - DNR Division of Ecological and Water Resources, St. Paul
distributed: January 8, 2025
What happened in December 2025:
Statewide precipitation totals for December 2025 were somewhat like December 2024, a little below normal. The preliminary statewide December average was .89 inches, .17 inches below normal. One of the wetter locations was the Twin Cities International Airport with 1.66 inches. One of the drier locations was Two Harbors 7NW, with .53 inches or 1.44 inches below normal.
[see: Decebmer 2025 Precipitation Total Map | December 2025 Regional Precipitation Map | December 2025 Climate Summary Table | December 2025 Percent of Normal Precipitation Map]There were three weather events of note for December 2025.
A strong "Clipper" system produced a band of intense snow along with a mix snow, sleet, freezing rain, and rain across much of Minnesota from Tuesday December 9 into Wednesday December 10, 2025. The cutoff between the heavy snow and the mixed precipitation ran very close to Interstate 94, placing a large snowfall gradient across the greater St. Cloud and Twin Cities areas. Hubbard County around Park Rapids saw the most with ten inches or more.
[see: A Mess of Heavy Snow, Slush, and Ice, December 9-10, 2025 ]The next significant event of the month was light to moderate snow with waves of intense blowing snow restricted visibilities across Minnesota, with whiteout conditions in many open parts of the state.
[see: Blowing Snow and Ground Blizzard, December 18, 2025 ]The third weather event of the month was on December 28-29. It was a gusty winter storm that brought widespread blizzard conditions to open parts of Minnesota, with falling temperatures and accumulating snow across the vast majority of the state. The Twin Cities had its highest storm total for a snowstorm in the 2025-26 season so far with 5.8 inches.
[see: Blizzard, December 28-29, 2025]The preliminary statewide average December temperature for 2025 was 15.2 degrees or about 2.7 degrees below normal. The last time there was an average December temperature below normal was in 2022. The warmest temperature of December 2025 found so far was 52 degrees at Tracy and Canby and the coldest reading found so far was -28 degrees F at Indus and Itasca State Park.
[see: December 2025 Climate Summary Table | 2025 December Departure from Normal Temperature Map]
Where we stand now:
The cooler-than normal December and the nearly endless parade of clippers assisted the statewide snowpack in December. The only fly in the ointment was a spell of 40 degree weather in Mid-December that eroded the snowpack, especially in southwest Minnesota. Northeast Minnesota also missed out on snow events, but got a boost during the first week of January.
[see: Weekly Snow Depth and Ranking Maps | NWS Snow Depth Estimation Map | Midwest Regional Climate Center Snow Depth Map]The drought situation in Minnesota changed very little during the month of December, with some slight improvement over eastern Minnesota. The U. S. Drought Monitor map released on January 8. 2025 depicts 34% of the state free of drought designation. About 35% of the state was Abnormally Dry, with 26% of the state in Moderate Drought conditions, 4% was in Severe Drought conditions. The U.S. Drought Monitor index is a blend of science and subjectivity where drought categories (Moderate, Severe, etc.) are based on several indicators.
[see: Drought Conditions Overview]The U.S. Geological Survey reports that stream discharge values in Minnesota (where winter measurements are possible) show above normal to much above normal stream flows in the south and normal to below normal stream flows in the central and north. Most rivers and streams are impacted by ice.
[see: USGS Stream Flow Conditions]Lakes froze over from late November to the first week of December. Most lakes that froze over stayed ice covered thorough the month. Mille Lacs was at 10.26 feet about a half a foot below the median on January 8, 2025. Lake Minnetonka was at 928.47 feet, about .13 tenths of a foot lower than this time last year. White Bear Lake was at 922.97 feet on January 7, 2026 a rise of about six tenths of a foot compared to the same time last year. Lake of the Woods was just below the median band and Rainy Lake is in the middle of the median band, Lake Superior was forecasted to be 601.12 feet, very close to the historic mean for January.
[see: Mille Lacs Lake Water Level | Lake Minnetonka Water Level | White Bear Lake Water Level | Lake of the Woods Control Board Basin Data | Corps of Engineers Great Lakes Water Levels]In their final report for the season, On November 24, 2025 the Agricultural Statistics Service reported that topsoil moisture across Minnesota was 3 percent Very Short, 19 percent Short, 74 percent Adequate, and 4 percent Surplus. Harvest was finishing up by the end of November. Soil moisture levels at Lamberton on November 15 showed soil moisture slightly above historical averages.
[see: Agricultural Statistics Service Crop Progress and Condition | U. of M. Southwest Research & Outreach Center (Lamberton) | U. of M. Southern Research & Outreach Center (Waseca)]The potential for wildfires is currently rated by DNR Forestry as Low across Minnesota.
[see: Fire Danger Rating Map]Soil frost depths under sod are quite shallow across the central and south and is generally a foot or less. Frost depths over west central and northeast Minnesota are from a foot to 20 inches. The deepest frost found in the state in early January is 22 inches at Sandy Lake Dam. Historically, the deepest frost occurs in late February to early March.
[see: National Weather Service Frost Depth Data | University of Minnesota - St. Paul Campus Soil Temperatures Under Sod]The lake ice season got to a good start in late November, with most lakes frozen over by early December. The cold December kept the lake ice fairly stable.
[see: DNR Conservation Officer Reports | 2025 Ice-In Dates] | Median Lake Ice-In Dates]
Future prospects:
The precipitation outlook for January has equal chances for below, normal, and above normal precipitation for Minnesota. Precipitation normal for January range from near one-half inch of liquid equivalent in western Minnesota to about an inch and a half over the far northeast. The median snow cover at the end of January ranges from near five inches in southwest Minnesota, to over 15 inches on the ground in northeastern Minnesota (greater than 24 inches along the Lake Superior highlands).
[see: Climate Prediction Center 30-day Outlook | January Precipitation Normal Map]The January temperature outlook has a tendency for below normal temperatures statewide, especially in northern and eastern Minnesota. Normal January high temperatures range the low-teens in the north, to near 20 in the south. Normal January lows range from near minus 10 degrees in the far north, to the single digits above zero in southern Minnesota.
[see: Climate Prediction Center 30-day Outlook | Temperature Normals]The 90-day temperature outlook for January-March has a tendency for below normal temperatures across the northern and west central part of the state. The southern half has equal chances of below, above and normal temperatures. The 90-day precipitation outlook for December through February indicates equal chances for above, below and normal precipitation over the southwest third of the state, and a slight tilt for above normal precipitation over the north and east.;
[see: Climate Prediction Center 90-day Outlook]The National Weather Service produces long-range probabilistic river stage and discharge outlooks for the Red River, Minnesota River, and Mississippi River basins. These products address both high flow and low flow probabilities.
[see: National Weather Service - North Central River Forecast Center]
Watercooler Talk in the Climate Office:
The results are in! Weather enthusiasts voted for the top five weather events of 2025. The #1 event was the Bemidji Blowdown. [see: Top Five Weather Events]
Upcoming dates of note:
January 15: National Weather Service releases 30/90 day temperature and precipitation outlooks
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Pete Boulay, DNR Climatologist