Minnesota lightning map
Minnesota sits in the northern severe-weather belt, with frequent summer thunderstorm complexes and occasional intense supercells.
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Detected from NOAA GOES-19 GLM satellite data. Aggregate count for Minnesota — your exact location and alerts live in the app.
About lightning in Minnesota
Minnesota sits in the northern severe-weather belt, where summer brings frequent thunderstorm complexes and the occasional intense supercell across the prairies and lake country. These storms often build after dark and travel fast. The active window runs May through August. Because overnight storms can strike before you wake to the thunder, the live distance and trend to the nearest flash are what give you warning.
- Thunderstorm days/yr
- 40
- US rank
- #23 of 50
- Peak season
- May–August
State thunderstorm-day normals are provisional (NOAA/NWS); per-city climate data is shown where a station normal is published.
Cities in Minnesota
Lightning safety in Minnesota
When storms build across Minnesota, the distance to the nearest strike matters more than a statewide count. Follow the 30-30 rule: if thunder follows lightning by 30 seconds or less, get indoors, and wait 30 minutes after the last thunder before heading back out. If you can hear thunder, you are already close enough to be struck. StrikeCast surfaces the live distance and trend so you can act before the storm reaches you.
StrikeCast app
Distance, trend & alerts — in your pocket.
GPS-precise distance to the nearest strike, live approaching/moving-away trend, and push alerts for every place that matters across Minnesota — home, work, the kids' school.
Your exact location stays on your device. Never shared. Never tracked.
Lightning guides
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm days does Minnesota get?
Minnesota averages about 40 thunderstorm days a year, versus a US average near 25 — roughly 1.6× the national norm. Activity peaks May–August.
Where does Minnesota rank for lightning in the US?
By mean annual thunderstorm days, Minnesota ranks #23 of 50 states. Rankings use NOAA/NWS climate normals; the live distance and trend on this page come from NOAA GOES-19 satellite data.
When is thunderstorm season in Minnesota?
Lightning is most frequent May–August in Minnesota.
How does StrikeCast track lightning in Minnesota?
StrikeCast reads NOAA GOES-19 GLM (Geostationary Lightning Mapper) satellite data, updated continuously, to show how far away the nearest strike is and whether it is approaching or moving away. Save any place in Minnesota in the free app to get a push alert when lightning closes in.