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Shaded-relief map of Nidaros, Minnesota: rivers, roads, the city limits and where the water drains.
MINNESOTA · OTTER TAIL COUNTY

Nidaros

353 people, 1,380 ft above sea level in Otter Tail County.

1,380 ftElevation, city center
353People, 2024 estimate
31 sq miLand area
Sunny 39°
Sunny now Dew point 27° · SSE 7 mph · high 40°
City of Nidaros River Interstate 2 miles
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The Nidaros plate. Relief from Copernicus GLO-30; rivers and lakes from USGS NHD; watersheds from the USGS Watershed Boundary Dataset; roads and city limits from Census TIGER 2024.

MILE1
TODAY

Today in Nidaros

NWS forecast and National Blend of Models · updated 12:00 PM CST
RIGHT NOW Todd Field Airport (K14Y) · 12:55 PM
Sunny
39° Sunny Feels like 34° · high of 40° near 2 PM
WindSSE 7 mphno gusts
Humidity60%falling to 62% this afternoon
Pressure30.26 in →steady
Visibility10 mihaze-free
CloudsClear
UV index—no forecast
Dew point 27° · Dry42° by Tuesday: more humid
DryComfortableStickyMuggyOppressive
NEXT RAIN
Rain
Wednesday30% chance · showers
LIKELY AMOUNT—amounts come within 3 days
LAST RAINNov. 20.21 in · 12 dry days
ALERTS & OUTLOOKS
No watches or warnings for Otter Tail County
NWS Grand Forks and the Storm Prediction Center · checked 1:16 PM
SUN & MOON
↑ 7:22 AM4:51 PM ↓
9 h 29 m of daylight, 3 minutes less than yesterday
Waxing crescent, 25% lit. Next full moon: Nov. 24.
AIR & POLLEN
27
GOODAir quality index · fine particles
Tomorrow: None, good. No pollen source yet.

The next three days, hour by hour

Sky: clear, cloudy, night Rain likely National Blend of Models
SATURDAY, NOV. 14
SUNDAY, NOV. 15
MONDAY, NOV. 16
TUESDAY, NOV. 17
1p
4p
7p
10p
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1a
4a
7a
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1p
4p
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10p
1a
4a
7a
10a
mostly sunny
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
mostly clear night
mostly sunny
mostly sunny
mostly sunny
clear night
clear night
clear night
mostly clear night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy day
mostly sunny
mostly sunny
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
mostly cloudy day
partly cloudy day
TEMPERATURE °F
39°
27°
45°
36°
52°
40°
CHANCE OF RAIN
50%
WIND, MPH
7
5
6
5
5
6
7
10
11
9
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9
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HOW IT FEELS · DEW POINT
Dry: dew points 27 to 42° More humid: 42° by Tuesday

The next seven days, and how sure we are

Forecast, with the range 8 in 10 ensemble members agree on Normal, about 80° / 62°
SAT Nov. 14 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
40° 27°
0% rain — S 7 A
SUN Nov. 15 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
46° 36°
0% rain — S 9 A
MON Nov. 16 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
52° 40°
0% rain — SSW 12 A
TUE Nov. 17 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
52° 44°
0% rain — S 10 A
WED Nov. 18 Chance of showers Chance of showers
53° 42°
30% rain up to 0.05″ S 6 B
THU Nov. 19 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
48° 36°
20% rain — WNW 1 C
FRI Nov. 20 Showers likely Showers likely
48° 40°
70% rain 0.04–1.0″ ESE 7 C
How sure are we? AModels agree: highs within 4° BSome spread: within 8° CWide spread: check back
Range from the National Blend of Models percentiles · graded on Forecast Scores
AIR MAIL

Where today’s air came from

The air arriving over Nidaros about 5,000 feet above the ground was over British Columbia three days ago, and over the Canadian Prairies a day ago, about 1,370 miles back along its path. It rose from near the ground on the way. It has stayed over land, which is why it feels dry. Traced back 72 hours through NOAA’s hourly RAP analyses and the GFS beyond them, nine paths at each of three heights.

THIS WEEK IN 2005 Nov. 12, 2005

The hottest this week has been

70° on Nov. 12, 2005, the hottest reading for this week of the year since 1940. Next is 65° in 2001.

65°
70°
20012005
Source: NOAA RCC-ACIS, the Ottertail record since 1940.
MILE2
THE GROUND

What Nidaros stands on

Nidaros’s center stands about 1,380 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 1,330 ft to 1,540 ft, a difference of 210 ft: rolling country. The highest named summit within 15 miles is Inspiration Peak, about 1,720 ft, 7 miles south.

Under the town center the state geologic map shows Mafic metavolcanic rocks (metabasalt, greenstone), from the Neoarchean, 2.5 to 2.8 billion years old.

The section below crosses 5 rock units mapped at the surface.

Nidaros, cut in half from northwest to southeast

A section northwest to southeast, 24 miles through the town center
1,300 ft1,400 ft1,500 ft1,600 ft NIDAROS1,380 ftOtter Tail Riverabout 1,320 ftEverts1,350 ftHigh point of the line1,680 ft ← NWParkers Prairie · SE →

Heights every 0.1 mile from the Copernicus GLO-90 surface model; vertical exaggeration about 53×. The colored band under the surface is the rock the state geologic map shows at the surface, not a picture of what lies beneath.

Rock at the surface along the line

Schist of sedimentary protolith

Schist. Age: Neoarchean, 2.5 to 2.8 billion years old. About 11 mi of the line.

Granite to granodiorite

Granite, granodiorite. Age: Neoarchean, 2.5 to 2.8 billion years old. About 10 mi of the line.

Foliated to gneissic tonalite, granodiorite, and diorite

Tonalite, granodiorite, diorite. Age: Neoarchean, 2.5 to 2.8 billion years old. About 2 mi of the line.

Mafic metavolcanic rocks

Metabasalt, greenstone. Age: Neoarchean, 2.5 to 2.8 billion years old. About 0.7 mi of the line.

Mafic intrusions including pyroxenite, peridotite, gabbro, and lamprophyre

Age: Paleoproterozoic, 1.8 to 2 billion years old. About 0.5 mi of the line.

From the USGS State Geologic Map Compilation (Horton and others, 2017), the states’ geologic maps joined at a common scale.

Heights from Copernicus GLO-90 (a surface model: it includes buildings and tree canopy); summits from USGS GNIS; rivers from USGS NHDPlus HR; rock from the USGS State Geologic Map Compilation.

MILE3
THE WATER

Where Nidaros’s rain goes

A raindrop that lands in Nidaros reaches Hudson Bay by way of West Battle Lake, Otter Tail Lake, the Otter Tail, the Red River of the North and the Nelson: about 1,300 river miles. Past the border it runs north through Canada to Hudson Bay.

THE WAY DOWN, TO SCALE
Nidaros≈ 1,300 mi · Hudson Bay
FROM THE CENTER OF NIDAROS ≈ 1,300 mi to Hudson Bay West Battle Lake → Otter Tail Lake → Otter Tail → Red River of the North → Nelson

Lakes on the way: Otter Tail Lake, West Battle Lake and Lake Winnipeg.

550 miles of the trip are on the Red River of the North.

Traced down the USGS NHDPlus V2.1 river network from the Census center point of Nidaros; river miles along the main stem, rounded.

MILE5
THE ALMANAC

Nidaros’s year

1991–2020 normals · records since 1940 · Ottertail, 12 mi north

Nidaros has a warm-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 79° in July; winter nights fall to about −2° in January. About 28 inches of rain fall in a normal year.

17°−2°24°2°36°15°52°30°65°44°74°56°79°60°77°59°69°49°54°35°37°21°23°7° JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 1234 TODAY NIDAROS 28.2 in rain a year
Normal high to low, by month Record high to low, by day Rain by month Freezing
July, average79° / 60°high / low, the warmest month
January, average17° / −2°high / low, the coldest month
Rain a year28.2 inwettest months: June and July
Hottest on record102°FJuly 27, 1988
Coldest on record−45°FFebruary 1, 1996
Wettest day on record4.76 inJune 25, 2022
Snowiest day on record16.0 inApril 1, 2009
90° days a year3on average, 1991–2020
Nights at or below 32°173and 91 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeWarm-summer humid continentalKöppen Dfb

AROUND THE RING

1Freeze seasonfrom the first fall freeze, about Oct. 6, to the last in spring, about May 11 (median dates)
2Highs below freezingNov. 24 to March 9; normal highs stay below 32°
3Lows below freezingOct. 23 to April 21; normal lows fall below 32°
4Wettest stretchMay through July: 12.5 of the year’s 28.2 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Nidaros normally reaches 37° and falls to 22°. The record high is 63°, in 1981; the record low 6°, in 1965. The most rain on this date, 0.47 in, fell in 2024.

MONTH BY MONTH
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Normal high17°24°36°52°65°74°79°77°69°54°37°23°
Normal low−2°2°15°30°44°56°60°59°49°35°21°7°
Rain, inches0.620.621.242.233.434.764.273.293.162.691.070.79
Record high56° (1981)59° (1981)73° (2021)94° (1980)94° (2006)98° (1988)102° (1988)101° (1976)97° (1983)91° (1963)72° (2020)57° (1962)
Record low−40° (2019)−45° (1996)−33° (1962)−7° (1975)18° (1967)33° (1969)37° (1969)35° (1965)19° (1965)10° (1996)−21° (1985)−38° (1983)

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1940 at Ottertail, 12 miles north. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.

MILE7
ON THE NETWORK

Around Nidaros on the Forecast Network

Neighboring plates

Fargo ND · 74 MI 74 miles northwest Minneapolis MN · 142 MI 142 miles southeast Bloomington MN · 147 MI 147 miles southeast St. Paul MN · 149 MI 149 miles southeast
FORECASTCITY
Map of Nidaros, Minnesota. Explore the plate
MINNESOTA · OTTER TAIL

Nidaros

353 people, 1,380 ft above sea level in Otter Tail County.

1,380 ftElevation
353People
31 sq miLand
Sunny 39°
SunnyDew point 27°
1

Today in Nidaros

NEXT 15 HOURS
Now mostly sunny 39° 0%
4p partly cloudy day 38° 0%
7p partly cloudy night 32° 0%
10p partly cloudy night 28° 0%
1a partly cloudy night 29° 0%
4a partly cloudy night 28° 0%
Rain
NEXT RAINWednesday · 30%
→
Sat0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
27
40
A
Sun0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
36
46
A
Mon0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
40
52
A
Tue0%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
44
52
A
Wed30%
Chance of showers Chance of showers
42
53
B
Thu20%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
36
48
C
Fri70%
Showers likely Showers likely
40
48
C
Letters show how sure the forecast is: A, models agree; B, some spread; C, check back. Sample data.
THIS WEEK IN 2005 · NOV. 12, 2005

70°, the hottest this week of the year has been since 1940.

2

What Nidaros stands on

Nidaros’s center stands about 1,380 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 1,330 ft to 1,540 ft, a difference of 210 ft: rolling country. The highest named summit within 15 miles is Inspiration Peak, about 1,720 ft, 7 miles south.

Nidaros, northwest to southeast Nidaros1,380 ftOtter Tail Riverabout 1,320 ft ← NWSE → 24 miles through the town center; vertical exaggeration about 100×. Colors: rock at the surface.
Elevation, center1,380 ft
Within 3 miles1,330 to 1,540 ft
Lie of the landRolling (210 ft of relief)
High point nearbyInspiration Peak, 1,720 ft, 7 mi south
Rock at the surfaceMafic metavolcanic rocks
Its ageNeoarchean, 2.5 to 2.8 billion years old
5

Nidaros’s year

Nidaros has a warm-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 79° in July; winter nights fall to about −2° in January. About 28 inches of rain fall in a normal year.

JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 1234 28.2 in
July, average79° / 60° · high / low, the warmest month
January, average17° / −2° · high / low, the coldest month
Rain a year28.2 in · wettest months: June and July
Hottest on record102°F · July 27, 1988
Coldest on record−45°F · February 1, 1996
Wettest day on record4.76 in · June 25, 2022
Snowiest day on record16.0 in · April 1, 2009
90° days a year3 · on average, 1991–2020
Nights at or below 32°173 · and 91 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeWarm-summer humid continental · Köppen Dfb
1Freeze season · from the first fall freeze, about Oct. 6, to the last in spring, about May 11 (median dates)
2Highs below freezing · Nov. 24 to March 9; normal highs stay below 32°
3Lows below freezing · Oct. 23 to April 21; normal lows fall below 32°
4Wettest stretch · May through July: 12.5 of the year’s 28.2 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Nidaros normally reaches 37° and falls to 22°. The record high is 63°, in 1981; the record low 6°, in 1965. The most rain on this date, 0.47 in, fell in 2024.

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1940 at Ottertail, 12 miles north. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.
3

Where the rain goes

≈ 1,300 mito Hudson BayWest Battle Lake → Otter Tail Lake → Otter Tail → Red River of the North → Nelson

A raindrop that lands in Nidaros reaches Hudson Bay by way of West Battle Lake, Otter Tail Lake, the Otter Tail, the Red River of the North and the Nelson: about 1,300 river miles. Past the border it runs north through Canada to Hudson Bay.

Lakes on the way: Otter Tail Lake, West Battle Lake and Lake Winnipeg.

550 miles of the trip are on the Red River of the North.