Father's Day Climate

Since 1910, Father's Day has been celebrated in the United States on the third Sunday in June; therefore, it can fall anywhere from June 15 through June 21.  Below are some Father’s Day climate statistics for La Crosse, WI, and Rochester, MN.

La Crosse, WI:

The following statistics comprise 114 years of data. From 1910 through 1950, the data came from various locations in downtown La Crosse. Since 1950, the data has been gathered at La Crosse Regional Airport.

The odds of having any precipitation at all on Father’s Day are 50% (57 out of 114).  There has been measurable (0.01" or greater) on 48 Father’s Days (42.1%) and trace amounts (less than 0.01") on 9 Father’s Days (7.9%).  

Last year (2023), Father's Day was celebrated on June 18.  The high temperature was 82°F and the low temperature was 65°F.  A total of 1.81" of rain fell. This made it the second wettest Father's Day. Only 1996 (June 16) was wetter with 2.01" of rain.   The average wind speed was 6.3 mph.

Rochester, MN: 

The following statistics comprise 106 years of data. From 1910 through 1931, the data came from several cooperative observers in the Rochester area. Since 1932, the data has been gathered at Rochester International Airport. No data was taken on Father’s Day from 1921 to 1928.

The odds of having any precipitation at all on Father’s Day are 47.6% (50 out of 104).  There has been measurable (0.01" or greater) on 387 Father’s Days (36.2%) and trace amounts (less than 0.01") on 12 Father’s Days (11.4%).

Last year (2023), Father's Day was celebrated on June 18.  The high temperature was 82°F and the low temperature was 65°F.  A total of 0.04" of rain fell.  The average wind speed was 9.4 mph.

Father’s Day Weather History

The following weather events affected southeast Minnesota, northeast Iowa, and western Wisconsin on Father’s Day:

• In 1937 (June 20), one barn was destroyed by an F2 tornado 3 miles east of Protovin, IA (Winneshiek County). Damage was estimated at $8,000. In addition $200 in livestock was killed. Another tornado touched down 3 miles north of Locust, IA (Winneshiek County). It damaged or wrecked buildings on several farms. The total damage was $10,000. In the Riceville, IA (Mitchell County) area strong winds uprooted large trees, broke windows, and damaged or wrecked buildings on several farms. A hangar with a new airplane belonging to Fred Mohr was destroyed. Finally, high winds blew down some trees and buildings in the Cresco, IA area (Howard County).
• In 1946 (June 16), an F2 tornado touched down initially 5 miles north of Grand Meadow, MN, and tracked east-northeast passing just northwest of Racine, MN. Five farms lost buildings. One small house was destroyed, a rural school was leveled, and at least two barns were destroyed causing $15,000 of damage.
• In 1962 (June 17), a weak F1 tornado was observed to touch down at the Rochester airport (Olmsted County) around 5:20 PM CST where it damaged one plane and then lifted as it moved northeast. Wind speeds up to 86 mph were observed by the Weather Bureau Airport Station. These strong winds demolished barns and sheds, unroofed buildings, tipped over house trailers, and uprooted trees in the Chatfield, Eyota, and Chester areas. Hailstones up to 1 1/2 inch in diameter fell northwest of Rochester damaging crops. Finally, minor damage was reported in the Winona area.
• In 1971 (June 20), Osage, IA received just over four inches (4.09") of rain. The heavy rain caused localized flooding in Clayton, Delaware, and Dubuque counties in northeast Iowa.
• In 1979 (June 17), Medford, WI received 3.17 inches of rain.
• In 1984 (June 17), a weak F0 tornado touched down in Alma, WI at 4:30 PM CST. Several witnesses described the tail of a small tornado dipping down to a marina, lifting large metal docks and tossing them around, ramming a covered dock into the bank, and pushing a 40-foot ramp to the top of the roadway. Another weak F0 tornado touched down at 6:31 PM CST between Zumbrota, MN, and Mazeppa, MN along the Goodhue and Wabasha County line. During the evening a squall line moved through south central and southeast Wisconsin. This produced 50 to 70 mph winds. These winds peeled roof sections off a church and one other building in Platteville, WI. It also uprooted several trees south and west of the church. The storm then continued northeastward to Belmont, WI where it downed more trees and caused power outages. The following rainfall amounts were reported on this day: Mauston, WI (3.82"), La Crescent, MN (3.55", wettest June day), Sparta, WI (3.20"), Cashton, WI (3.06").
• In 1992 (June 21), Austin, MN had its coldest June temperature (35 F). Other cold temperatures on this Father’s Day include:
  • In northeast Iowa: Charles City (39°F), Cresco (35°F), Decorah (37°F), Elkader (38°F), and Fayette (37°F).
  • In southeast Minnesota: Grand Meadow (38°F), Preston (33°F), Rochester (37°F), Rushford (35°F), and Theilman (33°F).
  • In western Wisconsin: Black River Falls (33°F), Blair (31°F), Gays Mills (36°F), Hatfield (30°F), Jump River (27°F), Mauston (36°F), Medford (32°F), Mondovi (32°F), Neillsville (31°F), Necedah (31°F), Platteville (38°F), Owen (31°F), Sparta (36°F), and Viroqua (37°F).
• In 1995 (June 18), temperatures ranged from the upper 80s to mid-90s.  It was warm enough that Cresco, IA tied their warmest Father's Day with a high temperature of 92°F (this first reached on June 16, 1946) and La Crosse, WI (high temperature 96°F, low temperature 74°F, and an average temperature of 85.0°F) surpassed their previous record of 95°F on Father's Days of 1933 (June 18) and 1913 (June 15).  The record at La Crosse WI was surpassed again in 2018.
• In 1996 (June 16), an F0 tornado moved east across southern Fayette County, IA from 6 miles north of Oelwein to 5 miles west of Arlington between 5:21 PM and 5:26 PM CST. The tornado did not do much damage as it was only on the ground intermittently and over open farmland. Also on this date, local law enforcement officials reported an F0 tornado touched down near the town of Bagley, WI (Grant County) on the Mississippi River between 7:00 PM and 7:05 PM CST. Thunderstorms produced high winds west of Arlington, IA (Fayette County) and La Farge, WI (Vernon County). These winds blew down numerous trees. Flash flooding was reported in La Farge, WI, and just north of Victory, WI in Vernon County and Rockbridge, WI (Richland County).
• In 1997 (June 15), a line of severe thunderstorms moved through Houston County in southeast Minnesota and west central, southwest, and central Wisconsin during the afternoon. The winds gusted up to 80 mph in De Soto and Newry in Vernon County. Property damage was over $50,000 and two injuries were reported. In Boscobel, WI (Grant County), torrential rains of 3 to 4 inches in less than an hour turned small creeks into raging rivers and caused mudslides and rockslides.
• In 2018 (June 17), temperatures south of Wisconsin Highway 29 ranged from the mid-80s to the upper 90s.  La Crosse, WI not only set records for warmest high (98°F), warmest low (77°F), and highest daily average (87.5°F) for June 17th, but it also was their warmest in all 3 of the aforementioned records for Father's Day (all previously set in 1995).  During the evening, scattered severe storms produced wind damage in Buffalo, Clark, Taylor, and Trempealeau counties.
• In 2019 (June 16), high temperatures were in the 50s and 60s along and north of Interstate 90 and in the 70s and lower 80s elsewhere.  La Crosse tied 1916 and 1963 for the 4th coldest Father's Day on record and Rochester tied 1993 and 2004 for the 5th coldest Father's Day on record.
• In 2020 (June 21), the rainfall was quite variable across the region.  Some areas remained dry.  While others were very wet like Northeast Iowa Regional Airport (Charles City, IA) with 1.91" of rain and Prairie du Chien Municipal Airport with 1.79" of rain.  A total of 0.42" of rain fell at Rochester International Airport (10th wettest Father's Day) and 0.93" of rain fell at La Crosse Regional Airport (6th wettest Father's Day).  
• In 2021 (June 20), scattered thunderstorms were seen across the area during the afternoon and evening.  A few of these storms became severe.  This prompted 2 Severe Thunderstorm Warnings (1 for Dodge County and 1 for Olmsted and Winona counties) in southeast Minnesota during the afternoon.  One of these severe thunderstorms uprooted trees and blew down large branches in Silver Lake Park in Rochester, MN around 4:10 PM.  While some areas remained dry, others saw rain totals of around 1 inch.  The highest rainfall totals were at Calmar, IA (0.87"), Decorah, IA (0.90"), and Dodge Center, MN (1.04").  Rochester International Airport received 0.82" of rain.  This made it their 7th wettest Father's Day.
• In 2022 (June 19), Rochester International Airport had a high temperature of 92°F. This tied 1943 and 2018 for their second hottest high temperature on Father's Day. Only 1933 was hotter with a high temperature of 93°F. The average temperature was 77°F. This is the 8th warmest daily average temperature for a Father's Day.  
• In 2023 (June 18), La Crosse Regional Airport received 1.81" of rain. This made it their second wettest Father's Day.  Only 1996 (June 16) was wetter with 2.01" of rain.  Elsewhere, 1.50" to nearly 2.50" of rain fell across Allamakee and Winneshiek counties in northeast Iowa; Houston and Winona counties in southeast Minnesota; and La Crosse and Trempealeau counties in western Wisconsin. The following locations received over 2" of rain:  Caledonia, MN  (2.48"); Decorah 4.9 SE, IA (2.43"); Trempealeau Dam 6, WI (2.28"); Hokah 4 NW, MN (2.17"); La Crescent 6.8 WSW, MN (2.17"); Hokah 4.5 WSW, MN (2.14"); and La Crosse 4 NNW, WI (2.08").