PlainHazard

Minnesota heat

Every recorded heat record since 1996 · 85 counties with a record

NOAA's Storm Events Database records 807 heat records in Minnesota from 1996 through June 30, 2026, about 43 a year since 2000. The deadliest was the August 7, 2001 heat in Carlton County and St. Louis County: 5 deaths. Minnesota ranks 24th of 51 states and territories by count and 31st of 50 per square mile.

Heat in Minnesota, 1996 to 2026

Heat records per year (NOAA Storm Events); 2026 to June 30, 2026.

  • recorded, no damage figure
  • under $1 million
  • $1 million or more
  • $10 million or more
  • $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
  • $1 billion or more, or 100 deaths
  • a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
  • a year with a death
Records
8071996 to June 30, 2026
A year since 2000
43average
Deaths
19258 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$1.6Mas filed
Busiest year
2001162 records

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; deaths and damage as filed, damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.

Are heat records common in Minnesota?

Minnesota averages about 43 heat records a year since 2000, 24th of 51 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2001 (162). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Minnesota records 101 heat records since 1996, 31st of 50 states and territories by that measure.

  1. 1. New Jersey 2320
  2. 2. Delaware 1555
  3. 3. Maryland 1330
  4. 4. Oklahoma 685
  5. 5. Illinois 590
  6. 6. Mississippi 584
  7. 7. Louisiana 576
  8. 8. Missouri 547
  9. 9. Tennessee 540
  10. 10. Puerto Rico 537
  11. 31. Minnesota 101

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1996, per 10,000 square miles of land area (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; places under 1,000 square miles not ranked). Damage colours: Storm Events damage, 2025 dollars.

Which counties in Minnesota have the most heat records?

Per square mile, Ramsey County leads Minnesota: 15 days with a heat record since 1996, 98.5 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Rock County has the most heat records (24 since 1996); large counties collect more records simply by covering more ground, so the ranking counts days with a record per unit of area (a storm filed for several forecast zones adds several records but one day).

  1. Ramsey County 98.5 (15)
  2. Rock County 49.7 (24)
  3. Carver County 39.6 (14)
  4. Scott County 39.3 (14)
  5. Pipestone County 36.6 (17)
  6. Washington County 36.4 (14)
  7. Anoka County 35.5 (22)
  8. Lincoln County 31.7 (17)
  9. Lyon County 30.8 (22)
  10. Hennepin County 30.7 (17)
  11. Jackson County 29.9 (21)
  12. Cottonwood County 29.7 (19)

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, days with a record in the county since 1996 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.

When is the heat season in Minnesota?

87% of its heat records since 1996 fell in July and August. The busiest month is July (441 records).

The values, month by month

Jan 0 · Feb 0 · Mar 0 · Apr 0 · May 0 · Jun 98 · Jul 441 · Aug 262 · Sep 6 · Oct 0 · Nov 0 · Dec 0 (records).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began, since 1996.

What were the deadliest heat records in Minnesota?

Minnesota: the storms with the most deaths since 1996
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2001-08-07 HeatCarlton County and St. Louis County · forecast zone Southern St. Louis / Carlton Five people died in a two-day heat wave, during which high temperatures of 91 degrees and heat indexes of 101 were reached. The victims, all in the Duluth area, included 4 males and 1 female, ranging in age from 47 to 73. All were found in rooms without air conditioning and with poor ventilation. The St. Louis County ... 5 0 –
2001-08-04 HeatYellow Medicine County · forecast zone Yellow Medicine An extensive heat wave persisted for five days and resulted in five fatalities in Minneapolis and its suburbs. All deaths occurred in Hennepin County and were determined by the county medical examiner. Three of the victims had been on medications at the time.Hot weather and tropical-like humidity pervaded the region, ... 5 0 –
2012-07-03 Excessive HeatHennepin County · forecast zone Hennepin The Hennepin County Medical Examiner had three heat related deaths due to the prolonged heat wave in early July. One was a 78 year old individual who was likely working outdoors. He was admitted to the hospital on the 5th with heat stroke conditions, and died on the 12th. Another man, 46 years old, died on the 5th in ... 3 0 –
2013-08-29 HeatOlmsted County · forecast zone Olmsted One person passed away from heat related causes in Stewartville. The victim had spent the day outside working in the yard and passed away that evening. A combination of prescription medications and the heat are believed to have lead to the death. The heat index was around 95 at the automated weather observing ... 1 0 –
2011-07-18 Excessive HeatSwift County · forecast zone Swift One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. A large ridge of high pressure expanded across the Upper Midwest and allowed for a stagnant pattern, and eventually oppressive heat and humidity to develop. The heat wave broke records for temperature and dew point, and even heat indices across the region. Maximum heat index values of 115 to 125 were common. Impacts ... 1 0 $1.3M
1999-07-23 HeatKandiyohi County · forecast zone Kandiyohi A massive upper ridge over the central and eastern U.S. enabled heat to build into Minnesota. Heat indices ranged from 95 to 110 the afternoon of the 23rd, 90 to 105 on the 24th, and climaxed at 95 to 116 on the 25th before a cold front moved in. Indices only dropped into the 70s the mornings of the 24th and 25th. ... 1 0 –
1999-07-28 HeatOlmsted County · forecast zone Olmsted Excessive heat and humidity affected southeast Minnesota once again with afternoon highs reaching the middle 90s to 100. Heat indices ranged from 105 to as high as 120. A 65 year old woman died of heat stroke in her mobile home when the temperature inside the home reached 130 degrees. 1 0 –
2021-08-09 Excessive HeatSt. Louis County · forecast zone Central St. Louis Twin 3-year-old boys were reported missing around 5:30PM the afternoon of the 9th in Hibbing, Minnesota. Officers and neighbors searched for the boys who were located around 6:30PM locked inside a vehicle. Both of the boys were unresponsive and in medical distress when found. Air temperatures at the time were in the ... 1 0 –
2001-08-01 HeatAnoka County · forecast zone Anoka Excessive heat began on July 30 (see July Storm Data) and ended the morning of August 1 when showers and thunderstorms swept through the area, bringing lower temperatures and dewpoints. Until the storms arrived, however, dewpoints remained in the middle and upper 70s overnight on July 31 into August 1, resulting in ... 1 0 –

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths direct and indirect, as filed by the National Weather Service, summed over each storm (one episode, or one named storm filed by several offices). Storm names from the titles of FEMA declarations that name the storm's counties.

The costliest heat records in Minnesota

Minnesota: the most damaging storms since 1993, 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2011-07-18 Excessive HeatSwift County · forecast zone Swift One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. 1 0 $1.3M

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, in 2025 dollars.

Are heat records becoming more frequent in Minnesota?

Minnesota's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. NOAA recorded every event type only from 1996, so earlier decades are not comparable; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.

Heat: Minnesota and the United States by decade (2020s to June 30, 2026)
DecadeMinnesotaUnited StatesMinnesota's share
1996-991054,3552.4%
2000s2079,1632.3%
2010s26016,4451.6%
2020-2623526,7960.9%

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

The most recent heat records in Minnesota

The 12 most recent records, to June 30, 2026
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-06-29 Excessive HeatWinona County · forecast zone Winona 0 0 –
2026-06-29 Excessive HeatWabasha County · forecast zone Wabasha 0 0 –
2026-06-29 Excessive HeatOlmsted County · forecast zone Olmsted 0 0 –
2026-06-29 Excessive HeatMower County · forecast zone Mower 0 0 –
2026-06-29 Excessive HeatHouston County · forecast zone Houston 0 0 –
2026-06-29 Excessive HeatFillmore County · forecast zone Fillmore 0 0 –
2026-06-29 Excessive HeatDodge County · forecast zone Dodge 0 0 –
2026-06-29 HeatJackson County · forecast zone Jackson 0 0 –
2026-06-29 HeatNobles County · forecast zone Nobles 0 0 –
2026-06-29 HeatRock County · forecast zone Rock 0 0 –
2026-06-29 HeatCottonwood County · forecast zone Cottonwood 0 0 –
2026-06-29 HeatMurray County · forecast zone Murray 0 0 –

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; the newest months are revised by NCEI as reports arrive. Search the record at NCEI.

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