Home › Compare › Ottawa vs Minneapolis
Ottawa vs Minneapolis
Comparing Ottawa change · Minneapolis change
Minneapolis is the warmer of the two — about 1°C on the annual average; Ottawa is the wetter, with 189 mm more rain a year.
How the seasons compare
The differences between Ottawa and Minneapolis, in everyday terms.
Summers
Summers are nearly the same
Ottawa: Warm
Minneapolis: Warm
Winters
Winters are similar
Ottawa: Very cold
Minneapolis: Very cold
Rain & snow
Ottawa is wetter
Ottawa: Moderate rainfall
Minneapolis: Moderate rainfall
Sky
Similar amounts of sun
Ottawa: Often cloudy
Minneapolis: Partly cloudy
Month-by-month charts
Temperature
Minneapolis is the warmer of the two — about 1°C on the annual average.
Precipitation
Ottawa is the wetter — about 189 mm more across the year.
Clear skies
The two cities see a similar amount of sun.
Exact monthly numbers
Tap a metric to open its full table. Desktop shows all twelve months; on a phone each metric splits into Jan–Jun and Jul–Dec.
Avg high (°C) Minneapolis runs higher most of the year
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa | -5 | -3 | 3 | 11 | 20 | 24 | 27 | 26 | 21 | 13 | 6 | -2 |
| Minneapolis | -5 | -2 | 5 | 14 | 21 | 26 | 28 | 27 | 22 | 14 | 6 | -2 |
| Difference | +1 | +2 | +3 | +2 | +1 | +1 | +1 | +1 | +1 | +1 | — | — |
| Jan – Jun | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa | -5 | -3 | 3 | 11 | 20 | 24 |
| Minneapolis | -5 | -2 | 5 | 14 | 21 | 26 |
| Difference | +1 | +2 | +3 | +2 | +1 | +1 |
| Jul – Dec | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa | 27 | 26 | 21 | 13 | 6 | -2 |
| Minneapolis | 28 | 27 | 22 | 14 | 6 | -2 |
| Difference | +1 | +1 | +1 | +1 | — | — |
Avg low (°C) Minneapolis runs higher most of the year
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa | -14 | -13 | -7 | 1 | 8 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 11 | 4 | -2 | -8 |
| Minneapolis | -13 | -11 | -4 | 3 | 9 | 15 | 18 | 17 | 12 | 4 | -3 | -10 |
| Difference | +1 | +2 | +3 | +2 | +1 | +2 | +2 | +2 | +1 | — | -1 | -1 |
| Jan – Jun | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa | -14 | -13 | -7 | 1 | 8 | 14 |
| Minneapolis | -13 | -11 | -4 | 3 | 9 | 15 |
| Difference | +1 | +2 | +3 | +2 | +1 | +2 |
| Jul – Dec | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa | 16 | 15 | 11 | 4 | -2 | -8 |
| Minneapolis | 18 | 17 | 12 | 4 | -3 | -10 |
| Difference | +2 | +2 | +1 | — | -1 | -1 |
Precipitation (mm) Varies through the year
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa | 65 | 52 | 62 | 80 | 80 | 95 | 92 | 87 | 87 | 89 | 70 | 72 |
| Minneapolis | 12 | 13 | 36 | 66 | 101 | 118 | 101 | 104 | 78 | 63 | 34 | 17 |
| Difference | -53 | -39 | -25 | -15 | +21 | +22 | +9 | +17 | -8 | -26 | -37 | -56 |
| Jan – Jun | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa | 65 | 52 | 62 | 80 | 80 | 95 |
| Minneapolis | 12 | 13 | 36 | 66 | 101 | 118 |
| Difference | -53 | -39 | -25 | -15 | +21 | +22 |
| Jul – Dec | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa | 92 | 87 | 87 | 89 | 70 | 72 |
| Minneapolis | 101 | 104 | 78 | 63 | 34 | 17 |
| Difference | +9 | +17 | -8 | -26 | -37 | -56 |
Snowfall (cm)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa | 44 | 41 | 31 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 43 |
| Minneapolis | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Difference | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jan – Jun | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa | 44 | 41 | 31 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Minneapolis | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Difference | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jul – Dec | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 43 |
| Minneapolis | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Difference | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Cloud cover (%) Ottawa runs higher most of the year
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa | 69 | 64 | 63 | 66 | 66 | 63 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 69 | 72 | 73 |
| Minneapolis | 62 | 61 | 67 | 64 | 65 | 61 | 49 | 52 | 52 | 62 | 64 | 66 |
| Difference | -7 | -3 | +3 | -1 | — | -2 | -9 | -6 | -6 | -7 | -8 | -7 |
| Jan – Jun | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa | 69 | 64 | 63 | 66 | 66 | 63 |
| Minneapolis | 62 | 61 | 67 | 64 | 65 | 61 |
| Difference | -7 | -3 | +3 | -1 | — | -2 |
| Jul – Dec | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa | 58 | 58 | 58 | 69 | 72 | 73 |
| Minneapolis | 49 | 52 | 52 | 62 | 64 | 66 |
| Difference | -9 | -6 | -6 | -7 | -8 | -7 |
Relative humidity (%) Ottawa runs higher most of the year
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa | 95 | 95 | 88 | 78 | 77 | 78 | 79 | 78 | 78 | 80 | 85 | 92 |
| Minneapolis | 90 | 87 | 78 | 71 | 71 | 73 | 72 | 71 | 70 | 73 | 80 | 88 |
| Difference | -5 | -8 | -10 | -7 | -6 | -5 | -7 | -6 | -7 | -7 | -5 | -4 |
| Jan – Jun | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa | 95 | 95 | 88 | 78 | 77 | 78 |
| Minneapolis | 90 | 87 | 78 | 71 | 71 | 73 |
| Difference | -5 | -8 | -10 | -7 | -6 | -5 |
| Jul – Dec | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa | 79 | 78 | 78 | 80 | 85 | 92 |
| Minneapolis | 72 | 71 | 70 | 73 | 80 | 88 |
| Difference | -7 | -6 | -7 | -7 | -5 | -4 |
How both climates are changing
Both cities are warming. Each city has its own warming trend; see its trends page for the year-by-year detail. Ottawa trends → · Minneapolis trends →
Methodology & sources
Ottawa
Temperature & precipitation — 1991–2020 normals computed from 30 years of daily observations at Ottawa Cda, a weather station, about 4 km from the city centre. The underlying daily records come from NOAA's global station network.
Cloud, humidity, wind & sunshine — modelled estimates from NASA POWER, NASA's satellite-and-reanalysis climatology. This is the standard global source for atmospheric variables, which are not measured at most weather stations.
Minneapolis
Temperature & precipitation — the official 1991–2020 climate normals from NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals, measured at ST Paul Dwtn AP (NOAA GHCN station USW00014927), about 17 km from the city centre.
Cloud, humidity, wind & sunshine — modelled estimates from NASA POWER, NASA's satellite-and-reanalysis climatology. This is the standard global source for atmospheric variables, which are not measured at most weather stations.
← change Ottawa · change Minneapolis → · Ottawa page · Minneapolis page