
August 2020 was warmer than normal in northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin as monthly average temperatures ended up around 1 to nearly 3 degrees above normal. Precipitation totals for August were generally above normal, with precipitation surpluses for the month ranging from around a half inch to nearly three inches, the exception to this like it’s been most of the summer was in Duluth, where rainfall for August was nearly an inch below normal. International Falls, Brainerd and Hibbing led the way for most number of days with thunder in August at 8 days.
August 2020 Climate Summaries Duluth, Minnesota Average Temperature: 67.0 degrees Normal: 64.3 degrees Departure: +2.7 degrees above normal Highest temperature: 86 degrees on the 26th and 8th Lowest temperature: 48 degrees on the 31st and 30th 5 days had a high temperature of at least 80 degrees; Normal for August is 7 days. Total precipitation: 2.72″ Normal: 3.70″ Departure: -0.98″ below normal Greatest calendar day precipitation total: 0.75″ on the 31st Number of days with at least 0.01″ of precipitation: 12 Number of days with at least 0.10″ of precipitation: 5 Number of days with at least 0.50″ of precipitation: 3 6 days with thunder International Falls, Minnesota Average Temperature: 64.5 degrees Departure: +1.2 degrees above normal Total precipitation: 4.80″ Departure: +1.99″ above normal 8 days with thunder Brainerd, Minnesota Average temperature: 69.5 degrees Departure: +1.5 degrees above normal Total precipitation: 3.69″ Departure: +0.62″ above normal 8 days with thunder Hibbing, Minnesota Average temperature: 63.1 degrees Departure: +0.7 degrees above normal Total precipitation: 5.90″ Departure: +2.76″ above normal 8 days with thunder Ashland, Wisconsin Average temperature: 66.3 degrees Departure: +1.5 degrees above normal Total precipitation: 4.07″ Departure: +0.52″ above normal 6 days with thunder |
Here’s a look at daily average temperature departures for Duluth, Minnesota for August 2020.
Note: 67% of days in August were above normal (red) while 23% of days were below normal (blue) The black represents days which had a normal temperature.
Source: https://mesonet.agron.iastate.edu/

Top 3 calendar day precip events for August 2020 at Duluth, Minnesota (Airport location)
1) 0.75″ on the 31st
2) 0.71″ on the 7th
3) 0.57″ on the 9th
August 2020 Daily Precipitation Totals for Duluth, Minnesota.

Source: https://mrcc.illinois.edu/

Rainfall totals in August were some 175-200% of normal for cities such as Bigfork and Grand Rapids, to around 150% of normal in Brainerd and International Falls. The real dry areas in August were over the Arrowhead of Minnesota, and for locations south of Hayward where rainfall totals were just 50-75% of normal.

Thanks for reading!
Tim