Hit‑or‑Miss Summer Rain: July Drier for Most, Wetter Near Northern MN Fires

Timothy Burr

4 hours ago

Rainfall this summer has been a bit of a mixed bag, but that’s not too unusual since summer rain tends to be hit or miss. We usually don’t get the large-scale weather systems that bring widespread precipitation like we see in fall, winter, and early spring.

Compared to June, much of the Northland has had less rain in July, except for far northern Minnesota near and over the active fires, where rainfall has recently increased significantly.

June 2026 was the 5th driest on record in International Falls, with only 1.37 inches of rain, but July has brought a bit more, totaling 2.56 inches through the 26th.

In July, Duluth saw a noticeable drop in rainfall, getting just 2.28 inches (so far) compared to 4.28 inches in June.

This July in Duluth has had about 1.50″ less rain than last July, but overall, this summer’s rainfall is pretty similar to what we saw by late July last year. For the year so far, Duluth is running just over 1″ ahead of where we were at this time last year.

Additional rainfall statistics for Duluth, MN.

-The last time Duluth saw a quarter inch or more of rain was on July 17th, nearly two weeks ago, with a total of 0.28 inches.

-The last time Duluth saw half an inch or more of rain was on July 3rd, over three weeks ago, with a total of 1.07 inches.

-In Duluth, the longest dry spell in June 2026 lasted three consecutive days without rain (June 1–3), while in July, the longest stretch was eight straight days without rain (July 9–16).

July 2026 Data
Total Rainfall up to the 26th

Hibbing: 3.00″
International Falls: 2.56″
Duluth: 2.28″
Ashland: 1.85″
Brainerd: 1.25″

The percentage of normal rainfall for July 2026 through the 26th shows dry areas highlighted in yellow and orange, while wet areas are shown in green.