Posted in Minnesota Winter February 18, 2019 by

The Nearly Snowless Minnesota Winter That Took Everyone By Surprise In 1877

Here in Minnesota, wild weather is just another day. Along with our famously cold winters, the Land of 10,000 Lakes also experiences oppressively hot summer days. In spring and fall, heavy rains or even tornadoes may dominate weather reports. Simply put, we experience all four seasons here, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. That’s why looking back at Minnesota’s more mild winters is so interesting. Back in the winter of 1877 to 1878, Minnesota had a nearly snowless winter that won’t soon be forgotten. Take a look:

Minnesotans may be used to cold winters with heavy snowstorms. But that's not always the case.
Jacob Norlund/Flickr
In the winter of 1877 to 1878, Minnesota experienced a period of unusual warmth. It is remembered as the Year Without A Winter.
Randen Pederson/Flickr
That winter still remains the warmest on record. The average temperature was just below freezing at 29 degrees Fahrenheit. Many lakes and rivers remained open without ice all year.
BlackDogsPhoto/Flickr
Not only was that winter mild, but it was also nearly snowless. A few inches in each month provided a brief respite from the dry conditions.
Brett Whaley/Flickr
But for the most part, that was a brown winter. The lack of snow affected travel, with muddy ruts making it hard to get past some roads.
aossanna/Flickr
The logging industry was particularly impacted, with muddy conditions impeding the movement of timber.
Tony Webster/Flickr
All in all, that warm, brown winter has not been forgotten. It lives on in Minnesota's records, even as more and more mild winters happen.
Tony Webster/Flickr

Do you know of any other snowless winters in Minnesota history? Let us know in the comments below. And for even more weather history of Minnesota, check out our article about one of Minnesota’s most frigid winters.

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