As of Oct 13, 2026, the latest day this gauge has reported
How much rain has Steele County, Minnesota, had in 2026?
39.67 inches of rain have fallen so far in 2026 at the volunteer rain gauge less than a mile southwest of Ellendale, Steele County, through Oct 13. That is 7.35 inches more than a usual year to date (123% of usual).
- Rain so far
- 39.67 in
- Usual by Oct 13
- 32.32 in
- Percent of usual
- 123%
- 2025 by Oct 13
- 38.11 in
This is Steele County’s 2026 so far, drawn as a Rain Print. Put your name and dates on it: framed $89, print $45.Get Steele County’s 2026 rain and snow drawn as a Rain Print, with your name and dates: framed $89, print $45. Make yours
Prints of 2026 ship in January, once the full year is in.
Want another year, like the drought or the year you married? Rainfall art of any town and year.
Month by month
| Month | Rain, in | Usual, in | Vs usual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 day not reported | 0.57 | 1.06 | −0.49 |
| Feb | 0.28 | 1.22 | −0.94 |
| Mar 2 days not reported | 2.24 | 2.01 | +0.23 |
| Apr | 3.40 | 3.52 | −0.12 |
| May | 2.35 | 4.95 | −2.60 |
| Jun | 4.52 | 5.68 | −1.16 |
| Jul | 10.27 | 4.66 | +5.61 |
| Aug | 3.34 | 4.40 | −1.06 |
| Sep | 12.58 | 3.75 | +8.83 |
| Oct to the 13th | 0.12 | 1.07 | −0.95 |
| So far | 39.67 | 32.32 | +7.35 |
2026 so far in Steele County
- Wettest month: September, 12.58 inches.
- Biggest single day: 7.29 inches on Sep 19.
- Longest dry stretch: 14 days in a row with the gauge at zero, Mar 19 to Apr 1.
- 2025 by the same date: 38.11 inches at the same gauge (it missed 11 days). On the 272 days both years reported, 2026 had 1.15 inches less than 2025.
The station, and what usual means
The numbers come from NOAA’s daily record for the volunteer rain gauge less than a mile southwest of Ellendale (gauge ID US1MNSE0003), 11 miles from the middle of Steele County. It reported 283 of the 286 days from Jan 1 to Oct 13; the 3 days with no report count as unknown, not as dry. Rain here means everything the gauge caught: rain, and snow melted down to water. A trace counts as zero. It is read once a day, usually in the morning, and each reading is filed under the day it was read, so an evening storm can show up on the next day.
Usual means NOAA’s 1991 to 2020 daily normals for this gauge, added up over the same 283 days the gauge reported, so a missing day counts on neither side. The volunteer gauges started in 1998, so none has 30 years of its own; NOAA estimates the rest from long-record stations nearby.
Why this gauge: 6 stations inside Steele County reported at least 90% of the days in 2026. Mountain snow sites, and stations far above the rest in the county, come last, since their rain is not what the farms below get. Then the pick goes to one with NOAA normals, then the most days reported, then the one nearest the middle of the county. Your own rain gauge can read differently a few miles away.
Questions
How much rain has Steele County, Minnesota, had in 2026?
39.67 inches of rain have fallen so far in 2026 at the volunteer rain gauge less than a mile southwest of Ellendale, Steele County, through Oct 13. That is 7.35 inches more than a usual year to date (123% of usual).
Is Steele County wetter or drier than usual in 2026?
Wetter so far. The volunteer rain gauge less than a mile southwest of Ellendale had 39.67 inches from Jan 1 to Oct 13, 123% of the usual 32.32 inches for the same days.
What was the wettest month in Steele County in 2026?
September, with 12.58 inches at the volunteer rain gauge less than a mile southwest of Ellendale, counting Jan 1 through Oct 13.
What was the biggest rain in Steele County in 2026?
7.29 inches on Sep 19, 2026, the most the gauge caught in one day this year through Oct 13.
How does 2026 compare with 2025 in Steele County?
From Jan 1 to Oct 13, the volunteer rain gauge less than a mile southwest of Ellendale had 38.11 inches in 2025 (2025 missed 11 days) and 39.67 inches in 2026 (2026 missed 3 days). On the 272 days both years reported, 2026 had 1.15 inches less than 2025.
Next door
- Dodge County 23.42 in, 75% to Oct 12
- Freeborn County 30.60 in, 97%
- Mower County 40.58 in, 125%
- Rice County 25.03 in, 83%
Rain in Minnesota, county by county · PRF insurance in Steele County · Farmland Atlas: Steele County