Minnesotans are generally very reserved until it comes to the weather. We absolutely love talking and complaining about the weather. It is a big part of who we are here in Minnesota. We take great pride in how resilient we are during the brutal winter months, we flock outdoors to enjoy the beautiful summers, and Mother Nature is always one of the main topics of conversation.

The next time you’re having a cup of coffee with a friend and chatting about snow or rain you might be citing info from a weather-related record that we just broke. A record most didn’t even know existed.

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Every time we get a significant rain or snowstorm our radio station gets a ton of calls from people asking the same question, how much did we get?

For that info, we turn to the experts at the National Weather Service.

How Does The National Weather Service Track Precipitation in Towns All Across Minnesota?

The National Weather Service actually relies on volunteers to provide information.

Amateur weather enthusiasts track rain, snow, and hail totals and report their findings which are used to study weather trends, determine risk for flood and drought, and monitor the effects of climate change.

And, Minnesota just set the record for the number of volunteers in the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network.

This is actually the fourth year in a row that Minnesota led the country in volunteers. The recruiting efforts were led by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the Minnesota office of the National Weather Service has broken the national record with 600 new volunteers.

11 of the Most Devastating Weather Disasters in Minnesota Throughout The Years

We might be full of lakes and "nice" but Minnesota has had its fair share of horrible and nasty weather. Throughout the years we've had floods, fires, storms that have crushed stadium roofs flat, and tornadoes that have destroyed lives.

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