Northern Minnesota Sets Record Rain, Warm Lows
Hibbing and Brainerd posted record rainfall and daily low temperatures in early November, according to regional weather data.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Current Conditions
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Hibbing received 2.18 inches of rain on November 2, 2026, beating a 1992 record of 0.53 inches, and then 1.21 inches on November 4, surpassing a 1993 record of 0.68 inches. Brainerd recorded daily lows of 55 degrees on November 2 and 48 degrees on November 4, the latter its warmest November 4 low in more than a century.
Why it matters
The rainfall and warm overnight temperatures departed sharply from typical early-November conditions across Northern Minnesota. The events highlight how much the region's autumn weather has run above historical norms this season.
Hibbing recorded 2.18 inches of rain on November 2 and 1.21 inches on November 4, while the Grand Rapids to Hibbing area saw three-day totals of 3.5 to 5.5 inches. Whether these totals will be confirmed or adjusted in later reporting is not addressed.
The players
Duluth National Weather Service Office
The regional forecasting office of the National Weather Service that serves Northern Minnesota and provides official weather observations and forecasts for the area.
The details
The observations were taken manually by volunteers using rain gauges, with snow melted in gauges to compare against rainfall. Hard frost also reached parts of Northern Minnesota overnight Thursday, more than three weeks after Brainerd's average first frost date of October 11.
Timeline
November 2, 2026: Hibbing record rainfall and Brainerd record daily low of 55 degrees.
November 4, 2026: Second Hibbing record rainfall and Brainerd's warmest November 4 low in over a century.
Late November or early December: Region expected to wait for its first snow.
Seasonal Patterns
The volunteer rain gauge observations behind these totals are gathered by CoCoRaHS, a network in which Minnesota has won the Rain Gauge Rally seven times. The records fit into a longer dataset, with some regional sites dating back to 1887 at Leech Lake.
Residents should expect a dry, mild stretch over the coming weeks, which reduces immediate runoff concerns after the heavy rain. Anyone planning outdoor work should note that the first snow is likely not until late November or early December.
The takeaway
Early-November rainfall and warm lows in Northern Minnesota were unusual, but the forecast points to a dry, mild stretch before the region's first snow, typically expected late November or early December.
What happens next
The next few weeks are expected to be dry and warm, with some days reaching the 50s and possibly the 60s, and the region will likely wait until late November or early December to see snow.
Further reading
For ongoing local observations, see Current Conditions for Minnesota.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KAXE.
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