Heavy Rains of Summer 2002

The summer of 2002 will be remembered as a summer of heavy rains in Minnesota. There were 12 significant rain events evaluated by the State Climatology Office during the season. The most significant rain event of the 2002 summer was the extraordinary deluge of June 9 and 10 where over eight inches of rain fell over large areas of northwestern Minnesota.

The State Climatology Office analyzes rainfall events that lead to significant damage, or events where rainfall totals are near or above the threshold established as a one percent probability occurrence. For most communities in Minnesota, a one percent probability occurrence is six or more inches of rain in a 24 hour period. Listed below are rain events investigated by the State Climatology Office in 2002.

• June 9 and 10 - Northwest, North Central Minnesota
• June 20 and 21 - Southeast Minnesota
• June 22 and 23 - Northern Minnesota
• June 21 and 24 - Wright County area

• June 2002, Statewide

• July 6 and 8 - Central Minnesota
• July 9 and 10 - Northwest, Central, South Central Minnesota
• August 3 and 4 - Central, Southern Minnesota
• August 6 and 7 - North Central Minnesota
• August 20 and 21 - Central, Southern Minnesota
• August 27 and 28 - Marshall County
• August 28 - Wilkin County
• September 5 and 6 - Central Minnesota

The State Climatology Office thanks Soil and Water Conservation Districts in the affected areas for their prompt and thorough response to requests for precipitation data. Data were also provided by DNR Forestry and the National Weather Service. We thank Minnesota's many volunteer precipitation monitors, whose diligent efforts make detailed analysis of storm events possible.

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mcwg@soils.umn.edu
URL: http://climate.umn.edu/doc/journal/heavyrains2002.htm
Last modified: January 7, 2002