Heavy Rain Helps to Ease Drought Concerns in Twin Cities Metro
Provided by: CoCoRaHS.
TWIN CITIES, MINNESOTA - The Twin Cities Metro area saw heavy rain on Saturday, March 29, 2025, bringing much-needed relief to an abnormally dry month. According to the NWS Twin Cities climate report, a total of 1.53 inches of rain fell, breaking the previous record of 0.79 inches, set in 1998 at the MSP Airport. This single-day total far exceeded the daily average of just 0.07 inches for this time of year and was crucial in replenishing soil moisture levels. According to data from CoCoRaHS (map above), the Twin Cities Metro reportedly saw around 1.50 to 2.05” of rain.
Before this rainfall, the U.S. Drought Monitor, released on March 27, 2025, classified much of the Twin Cities Metro as abnormally dry. Over the past few months, the lack of consistent precipitation raised concerns about drought conditions heading into spring. However, the substantial rainfall on Saturday should help ease those concerns, likely removing a large portion of the metro from the dry classification in the next update.
Minnesota Drought Monitor Map for March 25, 2025.
With this latest storm, the month-to-date precipitation total has risen to 2.64 inches, well above the historical average of 1.53 inches for March. This increase has helped offset earlier deficits, bringing year-to-date precipitation close to normal. Since January 1, the Twin Cities have received 3.18 inches of precipitation, slightly below the usual 3.29 inches for this period.
Despite the wet conditions on Saturday, snowfall remains well below seasonal norms. No snow was recorded on March 30 at the MSP Airport, and the total accumulation for the season now stands at 25.6 inches, significantly lower than the average of 47.3 inches by this time of year. Last year at this time the snowfall totals were 15.2” for the month of March, and 29.5” for the year.
The recent rainfall provides a positive outlook for soil moisture as the region transitions into spring. While more precipitation will be needed in the coming weeks to eliminate drought concerns fully, this weekend's storm was a step in the right direction.
Written by: Will Wight
