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Public Information Statement
National Weather Service La Crosse WI
1017 AM CDT Sun May 3 2026

...April 2026 was Warmer and Wetter than Normal for Rochester, MN...

...April 2026 Highlights...

Temperatures - Warmer than Normal

During April 2026, Rochester International Airport had an average
temperature of 47.9F. This was 2.7F warmer than the 1991-2020
normal of 45.2F.

The average high temperature was 58.1F. This was 2.8F warmer than
the 1991-2020 normal of 55.3F.

The average low temperature was 37.8F. This was 2.7F warmer than
the 1991-2020 normal of 35.1F. This was the 16th warmest.

The warmest temperature was 82F on April 22 and the coldest
temperature was 19F on April 7.

The low temperature was below freezing on 11 days. The long-term
average is 13 days.

Precipitation - Tied for 16th Wettest with 1919

A total of 4.44 inches of precipitation fell at Rochester
International Airport. This was 0.92 inches wetter than the 1991-
2020 normal of 3.52 inches. This April was tied with 1919 for the
16th wettest. Below are the 20 wettest Aprils in Rochester.

Wettest Aprils in Rochester MN
          1886-2026

        Precipitation
Rank        Total        Year
----    -------------    ----
  1      7.30 inches     2001
  2      6.83 inches     2022
  3      6.79 inches     2013
  4      6.47 inches     1999
         6.47 inches     1990
  6      5.64 inches     2014
  7      5.51 inches     2006
  8      5.25 inches     1991
  9      4.95 inches     1994
 10      4.93 inches     1994
 11      4.85 inches     2025
 12      4.68 inches     1954
 13      4.56 inches     1993
 14      4.55 inches     2017
 15      4.54 inches     1945
 16      4.44 inches     2026
         4.44 inches     1919
 18      4.26 inches     1973
 19      4.17 inches     2008
         4.17 inches     1930

9 out of the 20 wettest Aprils have occurred since 2001.

The wettest April day occurred on April 3rd when 1.24 inches of rain
fell.

Measurable precipitation fell on 15 days and trace amounts fell on
another 1 day.

Snowfall - Below Normal

During April, the snow observer near Rochester International Airport
reported a trace of snow. This was 3.3 inches lower than the 1991-
2020 normal of 3.3 inches.

The snowiest days were April 4 and April 19 when a trace of snow
fell. This was the only snow during April.

...April 2026 Records...

April 3 - Rainfall - 1.24 inches - Previous Record 1.21 inches in
1934

Tornadoes

There were 4 tornadoes in Olmsted County on April 17, 2026.
This was the most on a calendar day for Olmsted County. Previous
record was 3 tornadoes on April 29, 1981 and June 28, 2017.

...Looking ahead to May...

The normal high temperature in Rochester rises from 62F on May 1st
to 74F by the end of the month. The normal low temperature rises
from 41F on the 1st to 53F by the end of the month. The normal
mean temperature for the month is 57.6F. Rochesters warmest May
occurred in 1934 with an average temperature of 66.2F, and its
coldest May occurred in 1888 with an average of only 49.6F.

During May, the hottest temperature was 106F on May 31, 1934, and
the coldest temperature was 21F on May 3 in 1910, and 1967.
Normally, there is only 1 day with temperatures at or above 90F.

The average precipitation for May is 4.35 inches. The wettest May
occurred in 2013 with 12.26 inches of precipitation. While the
driest was in 1934 with 0.40 of an inch. The wettest May day was
4.02 inches on May 17, 2000. Normally, there are 5 days with
thunderstorms.

The normal snowfall for May is 0.5 inches. The snowiest May occurred
in 2013 when 14.5 inches of snow fell. Only 10 Mays since 1886 have
had measurable snow.

$$

Boyne