Minnesota tornado climatogy refers to the historical occurances and trends of tornadoes in the U.S. state of Minnesota.. The state lies along the northernern border of the U.S. in the central United States. This area is commonly referred to as Tornado Alley, the place where violent tornadoes occur with more regularity than anywhere else on earth.
On average 26 tornadoes are reported to touch down in Minnesota per year since 1950. However, the actual number of touch downs is likely higher than this, given increase in tornado detecting techonology and storm spotting networks in recent years. The majority of tornadoes touch down between 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm, and 98% of the tornadoes are rated at F3 or lower. The southern half of the state receives roughly 70% of the tornadoes.