Cloquet

Population 12,399 (2025)

15 tornadoes have tracked within 25 miles of Cloquet since 1950, 2 of them rated EF3 or F3 or stronger; the most recent was on June 12, 2024.

Hazard fingerprint for Cloquet Tornado: 17th percentile. Tropical: 0th percentile. Wildfire: 0th percentile. Flood: 19th percentile. Hail & wind: 23th percentile. Heat: 0th percentile. Cold: 0th percentile. Winter: 0th percentile. TORTROPFIREFLOODSEVEREHEATCOLDWINTER

Hazard fingerprint Each spoke is this county’s percentile among U.S. counties where that hazard occurs. How it is computed

2026
  • Tornado damage paths within 25 miles since 195015
  • Wildfire burn scars within 25 miles since 19841

At a glance

Tornado paths within 25 miles, tropical cyclone tracks within 100 miles and wildfire perimeters within 25 miles of the city centre. Storm events, flood insurance claims and disaster declarations are for Carlton County. Earthquakes within 50 miles, volcanoes within 100 miles and smoke days are measured from the city centre; river and tide gauges, tsunami and landslide records and the drought index are for Carlton County.

Flood insurance claims

19

Carlton County

$627,000 paid since 1985

Details

Tornadoes since 1950, within 25 mi

15

2 rated F3/EF3 or stronger

Details

Large wildfires within 25 mi

1

Largest: Bn Complex 2, 2007

Details

Strongest tornado

F4

June 11, 1966, 72.8 mile path

Federal disaster declarations

10

Most recent: Severe Storms and Flooding, 2023

Details

Record high

105°F

Reached 4 times, most recently July 13, 1936

Details

Record low

−45°F

Reached 2 times, most recently January 12, 1912

Details

Snowiest season

113.4in

Winter of 1950-51

Tornadoes

About one every 5.1 years since 1950, 2 of them rated F3/EF3 or stronger.

Strongest

June 11, 1966

F4, 72.8 mile path

333 yards wide.

Most recent

Wednesday, June 12, 2024

EF0, 7.8 mile path

2 years ago.

Tornadoes by decade, within 25 miles Doppler radar era² 1950s: 1 1 1960s: 3 3 1970s: 4 4 1980s: 2 2 1990s: 0 2000s: 0 2010s: 2 2 2020s: 3 3 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
Recorded tornadoes per decade. The 2020s are incomplete.
Tornadoes by month J: 0 F: 0 M: 0 A: 0 M: 2 J: 6 6 J: 3 A: 4 S: 0 O: 0 N: 0 D: 0 JFMAMJJASOND
By month of occurrence, all years.

Every recorded tornado

Tornadoes within 25 miles since 1950
Jun 12, 2024EF07.85000
May 18, 2022EF03.15000
Aug 14, 2020EF12.715000
Aug 9, 2012EF00.12000
Aug 9, 2012EF00.21300
Jun 21, 1986F10.54000
Jun 21, 1986F12.04000
Jun 12, 1976F10.120000
Jul 13, 1973F10.53000
Jul 7, 1970F15.110000
Jul 7, 1970F222.312320
Aug 6, 1969F318.42,933200
Jun 19, 1967F019.41000
Jun 11, 1966F472.833300
May 26, 1958F06.91000
  1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond this area.
  2. Weak tornadoes were under-recorded before Doppler radar coverage became national in the early 1990s, so earlier decades read low. Ratings use the Fujita scale before February 2007 and the Enhanced Fujita scale after.

Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025.

Hurricanes and tropical storms

No tropical storm or hurricane has tracked within 100 miles since records began in 1851.

Wildfire and smoke

1 large fire burned within 25 miles since 1984.

Largest

April 29, 2007

Bn Complex 2 Fire, 549 acres

19.3 miles from the city centre.

Most recent

April 29, 2007

Bn Complex 2 Fire

549 acres in total.

Acres burned by large fires within 25 miles, cumulative 2007: 549 549 acres 198519901995200020052010201520202025
Running total of acres burned (line) and each year’s acres (bars).

Every large fire

Large wildfires since 1984
Bn Complex 2200719.3549
  1. Large fires mapped by the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity program since 1984: 1,000 acres or more in the West, 500 or more in the East. Prescribed burns are excluded. Acres here are the part of each perimeter inside this place.

Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (USGS and U.S. Forest Service), 1984 to 2026.

Smoke overhead

Smokiest year

2023: 85 days

Heavy smoke on 31 days in 2021, the most of any year.

Last 10 years

32.5 days a year

Medium or heavy smoke, 2016 to 2025.

2025

33 days

Medium or heavy smoke. 45 so far in 2026.

Days with medium or heavy smoke overhead, by year 2011: 7 2012: 18 2013: 14 2014: 16 2015: 23 2016: 9 2017: 17 2018: 26 2019: 18 2020: 12 2021: 56 2022: 19 2023: 85 85 2024: 50 2025: 33 201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Days each year on which a satellite-traced plume of medium or heavy smoke covered the city centre, 2011 to 2025.
  1. A smoke day is a date on which a smoke plume traced by NOAA Hazard Mapping System analysts from satellite imagery covered this place's point (the county's population centre or the city centre). Counts here are of medium or heavy smoke. Since 2018 analysts have often drawn light smoke as one area over most of the continent, so light-smoke counts are not comparable from year to year. The plumes show smoke anywhere in the air above, not air quality at the ground, and smoke hidden by cloud is missed.

NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, 2011 to 2026, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Floods and flood insurance

19 federal flood insurance claims since 1985, with $627,000 paid.

Flood insurance figures are for Carlton County, the county that contains Cloquet.

Federal flood insurance claims by year 2012: 9 9 2012
Claims per year since 1985. Years with fewer than five claims are not shown.

Most claims in one year

2012: 9 claims

$502,000 paid.

Claims by ZIP code

Flood insurance claims by ZIP code
557337$201,000
557675$240,000

Flood events since 1996

  • Flash Flood18
  • Flood4

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.

River crests

River gauges in Carlton County, the county that contains Cloquet.

Most severe crest

June 21, 2012

St. Louis River at Scanlon, 16.62 ft

6.12 feet above the 10.5 ft flood stage; major flooding by today’s categories.

Most recent moderate or major crest

June 24, 2024

St. Louis River at Scanlon, 11.06 ft

Moderate flooding.

Highest river crests above flood stage
Jun 21, 2012St. Louis River at Scanlon16.62+6.12Major
May 9, 1950St. Louis River at Scanlon15.80+5.30Major
Apr 23, 1979St. Louis River at Scanlon13.93+3.43Major
Apr 16, 2023St. Louis River at Scanlon13.52+3.02Major
Oct 13, 1973St. Louis River at Scanlon12.76+2.26Moderate
Apr 19, 1996St. Louis River at Scanlon12.62+2.12Moderate
Apr 15, 1969St. Louis River at Scanlon12.60+2.10Moderate
Jul 10, 1999St. Louis River at Scanlon12.45+1.95Moderate
Apr 18, 1982St. Louis River at Scanlon12.20+1.70Moderate
Apr 25, 2001St. Louis River at Scanlon12.19+1.69Moderate
Apr 23, 1975St. Louis River at Scanlon12.09+1.59Moderate
Apr 18, 1971St. Louis River at Scanlon12.07+1.57Moderate
Apr 21, 1972St. Louis River at Scanlon11.99+1.49Moderate
Jun 25, 2002St. Louis River at Scanlon11.87+1.37Moderate
Apr 16, 1954St. Louis River at Scanlon11.78+1.28Moderate
Apr 20, 1965St. Louis River at Scanlon11.57+1.07Moderate
May 14, 2022St. Louis River at Scanlon11.36+0.86Moderate
Apr 8, 1997St. Louis River at Scanlon11.20+0.70Moderate
Jun 24, 2024St. Louis River at Scanlon11.06+0.56Moderate
Apr 30, 1986St. Louis River at Scanlon10.99+0.49Minor
Aug 7, 1953St. Louis River at Scanlon10.98+0.48Minor
Jul 8, 1993St. Louis River at Scanlon10.93+0.43Minor
Apr 19, 1994St. Louis River at Scanlon10.93+0.43Minor
Aug 23, 1978St. Louis River at Scanlon10.80+0.30Minor
Apr 15, 1956St. Louis River at Scanlon10.79+0.29Minor

River gauges

River gauges and their highest listed crests
St. Louis River at Scanlon10.516.62 ftJun 21, 20124
  1. Crests are the highest and the recent crests the National Weather Service lists for each river gauge in the county that has a flood stage, not every flood. Flood categories use each gauge's current flood stages; crests from before levees, dams or channel changes may not be comparable. Crests measured on an old datum are left out of the rankings.

NOAA National Water Prediction Service gauge records, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Drought

In severe drought or worse for 143 of 1,581 months since 1895 (9%); the longest spell lasted 16 months.

The drought index is for Carlton County, the county that contains Cloquet.

143

Months in severe drought or worse since 1895

49

Months in extreme drought

9%

Share of all months, severe or worse

Lowest reading

April 1911

−6.46, extreme drought

Longest severe spell

16 months

June 1910 to September 1911.

Latest month

September 2026

−3.77, severe drought

Months in severe drought or worse, by year 1895: 0 1896: 0 1897: 0 1898: 0 1899: 0 1900: 1 1901: 0 1902: 0 1903: 0 1904: 0 1905: 0 1906: 0 1907: 0 1908: 0 1909: 0 1910: 7 1911: 9 1912: 2 1913: 4 1914: 0 1915: 0 1916: 0 1917: 0 1918: 5 1919: 0 1920: 0 1921: 2 1922: 1 1923: 3 1924: 6 1925: 0 1926: 0 1927: 0 1928: 0 1929: 0 1930: 1 1931: 0 1932: 0 1933: 0 1934: 3 1935: 0 1936: 5 1937: 1 1938: 0 1939: 2 1940: 10 10 1941: 0 1942: 0 1943: 0 1944: 0 1945: 0 1946: 0 1947: 0 1948: 4 1949: 0 1950: 0 1951: 0 1952: 0 1953: 0 1954: 0 1955: 0 1956: 0 1957: 0 1958: 0 1959: 0 1960: 0 1961: 10 1962: 4 1963: 6 1964: 3 1965: 0 1966: 0 1967: 2 1968: 3 1969: 0 1970: 1 1971: 0 1972: 0 1973: 0 1974: 0 1975: 0 1976: 5 1977: 4 1978: 0 1979: 0 1980: 2 1981: 0 1982: 0 1983: 0 1984: 0 1985: 0 1986: 0 1987: 5 1988: 10 1989: 0 1990: 0 1991: 0 1992: 0 1993: 0 1994: 0 1995: 0 1996: 0 1997: 0 1998: 0 1999: 0 2000: 0 2001: 0 2002: 0 2003: 0 2004: 0 2005: 0 2006: 2 2007: 5 2008: 0 2009: 0 2010: 0 2011: 0 2012: 0 2013: 0 2014: 0 2015: 0 2016: 0 2017: 0 2018: 0 2019: 0 2020: 0 2021: 2 2022: 0 2023: 2 2024: 0 2025: 3 18951905191519251935194519551965197519851995200520152025
Months each year with a Palmer index of −3 or lower, 1895 to 2025. Twelve means the whole year.
  1. The Palmer Drought Severity Index is computed by NOAA each month from the county's average temperature and precipitation, relative to the county's own climate. Zero is normal; -3 or lower is severe drought and -4 or lower extreme drought. It describes the long-term balance of moisture, not water supply or crop losses.

NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, 1895 to September 2026, issued October 6, 2026.

Earthquakes and landslides

No earthquake of magnitude 2.5 or more is recorded within 50 miles of the city centre in the USGS catalogue, which begins in 1900.

Mapped landslides

Landslides mapped in Carlton County.

1,787

Landslides mapped, probable or better

601

With a recorded date

1

Source inventory

Mapped by USGS MN (1,787).

  1. Landslides mapped in the USGS compilation of landslide inventories across the United States (version 3.0, 2025), rated probable or better. The compilation joins inventories made by federal and state agencies for different purposes and areas, so the number mapped in a county reflects how closely it has been surveyed as much as how often its slopes fail. An area with few records may simply not have been mapped. Deaths are as recorded in the inventories; a slide listed in two inventories is counted once.

USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0, retrieved October 27, 2026.

Severe weather and other events

275 events in the National Weather Service record for Carlton County, 229 of them since 1996.

85

Hail reports, 1 inch or larger

3

Hail, 2 inches or larger

91

Damaging gusts, 58 mph+

0

Winter weather events since 1996

0

Heat events since 1996

0

Cold events since 1996

Largest hail

May 30, 2022

2.00 inches

Strongest measured or estimated gust

July 8, 1974

81 mph

More event types since 1996

Other Storm Events types since 1996
Lightning500Apr 17, 2025

Costliest events since 1996

  1. Jun 20, 2012Flash Flood$20.0 million
    National Weather Service narrative

    Jay Cooke State Park was evacuated due to severe flooding of the St. Louis River.|Highway 210 through the park was heavily damage. The historic swinging pedestrian bridge was washed away. Miles of hiking and biking trails were damaged.

  2. Jun 20, 2012Flood$16.0 million
    National Weather Service narrative

    Moose Head Lake in Moose Lake overflowed its banks after the area received 6 to 8 inches of rain, flooding 30 percent of the town. One hundred and fifty homes were flooded. The schools were flooded. The town's water and sewer system were compromised.

  3. Jun 20, 2012Flood$3.0 million
    National Weather Service narrative

    Flooding of the St Louis River began at the Scanlon gage at 1:30 AM CST on June 20th when it reached a level of 10.50 feet. The St Louis River reached a record-breaking crest of 16.66 feet at 3 am CST on June 21. The St Louis River returned below its flood stage of 10.50 feet on June 28th at 10:00 AM CST. Businesses and a campground near the river were flooded.

  4. Jun 20, 2012Flash Flood$2.0 million
    National Weather Service narrative

    The reservoir at the City of Thomson overflowed and Carlton County Emergency Management ordered the evacuation of Thomson. Most of the town was flooded. The water remained for many days. Many homes were lost or severely damaged.

  5. Jun 26, 2002Lightning$500,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Lightning started a fire at an auto body shop, which destroyed the business.

  6. Aug 27, 2007Lightning$120,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    A lightning bolt caused considerable roof and structural damage to the Queen of Peace Catholic Church. Damage to the electrical, phone, and public address system was also noted.

  7. Apr 17, 2025Lightning$75,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    The Cloquet Are Fire District responded to a report of a house struck by lightning with snow inside the home on Washington Street. Fire crews found significant damage to both the interior and exterior of the home likely caused by the lightning strike. Damage was also found in the adjacent yard further pointing to a lightning strike. No injuries were reported.

  8. Jun 12, 2024Tornado$50,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Tornado developed on or near the Aitkin/Carlton County line and traveled southeast towards Highway 210 between Wright and Cromwell. Minor tree damage was noted on West Road near the start of the tornado path, with a broad area of large branches down and a few trees snapped towards the top. The tornado then traveled across a mainly marsh/bog landscape, crossing Center Road where power lines were damaged and widespread tree damage was noted along a 50 yard stretch of road. The tornado track continued on a southeast to east-southeast path, with the last signs of damage near to just south of Highway 210 near Woodbury Lake where a few clusters of tree damage were noted. No injuries or…

  9. Aug 2, 2011Lightning$30,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Lightning struck tree, which fell onto a house, waking the occupants.

  10. Sep 19, 2024Hail$30,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Cars were damaged on Interstate 35 near the Mahtowa exit.

  1. Storm Events records before 1996 cover only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail. Damage figures are as reported by the National Weather Service at the time, not adjusted for inflation.

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026, issued October 26, 2026.

Weather records

From Cloquet, 1.7 miles from the city centre, with records from 1911.

All-time high
105°F4 times, most recently Jul 13, 1936
All-time low
−45°F2 times, most recently Jan 12, 1912
Warmest night
78°FJul 26, 1917
Coldest day
−20°F2 times, most recently Feb 2, 1996
Wettest day
8.44 inSep 6, 1990
Snowiest day
21.4 inMar 4, 1985
Hottest year
1998mean 44.8°F
Coldest year
1917mean 34.3°F
Wettest year
199142.53 in
Driest year
191819.30 in
Snowiest season
113.4 in1950-51
Average monthly high and low temperature and precipitation, last 30 years, Cloquet 32°F 20° 2° 0.9 Jan 26° 4° 1.0 Feb 39° 16° 1.5 Mar 52° 28° 2.6 Apr 66° 38° 3.2 May 76° 48° 4.5 Jun 81° 55° 3.9 Jul 78° 53° 3.7 Aug 70° 46° 3.3 Sep 54° 35° 3.1 Oct 38° 22° 1.8 Nov 25° 9° 1.6 Dec Precipitation, inches
Average daily high and low by month, and average monthly precipitation, over the last 30 years.
Nights at or below freezing per year 1976: 211 211 1977: 168 1978: 189 1979: 198 1980: 193 1981: 188 1982: 179 1983: 200 1984: 188 1985: 193 1986: 182 1987: 185 1988: 203 1989: 206 1990: 196 1991: 193 1992: 200 1993: 200 1994: 180 1995: 203 1996: 199 1997: 199 1998: 164 1999: 180 2000: 184 2001: 171 2002: 204 2003: 198 2004: 176 2005: 185 2006: 192 2007: 182 2008: 189 2009: 192 2010: 181 2011: 188 2012: 181 2013: 202 2014: 195 2015: 184 2017: 185 2018: 206 2019: 199 2020: 211 2021: 186 2022: 198 2023: 174 2024: 180 2025: 187 19761986199620062017
Nights at or below freezing each complete year, last 50 years. Thirty-year average: 188.7.
Snowfall by winter 1976: 39.5 in 1977: 55.3 in 1978: 81.0 in 1979: 51.8 in 1980: 28.3 in 1981: 84.7 in 1982: 62.4 in 1983: 75.4 in 1984: 57.2 in 1985: 67.9 in 1986: 34.3 in 1987: 48.4 in 1988: 82.0 in 1989: 53.0 in 1990: 51.3 in 1991: 77.4 in 1992: 63.5 in 1993: 69.7 in 1994: 63.6 in 1995: 87.7 in 1996: 92.8 in 1997: 49.8 in 1998: 47.1 in 1999: 41.2 in 2000: 84.6 in 2001: 54.4 in 2002: 38.7 in 2003: 73.5 in 2004: 72.3 in 2005: 75.7 in 2006: 77.2 in 2007: 70.5 in 2008: 62.8 in 2009: 55.8 in 2010: 87.2 in 2011: 33.8 in 2012: 96.5 in 2013: 111.0 in 111.0 2014: 34.9 in 2017: 71.9 in 2018: 74.7 in 2019: 71.1 in 2020: 54.3 in 2021: 66.2 in 2022: 97.2 in 2023: 23.1 in 2024: 36.6 in 2025: 50.7 in 19761986199620062018
Total snowfall each winter (July to June), last 50 winters.

Median first snow

November 1

Earliest: September 30, 1985

Median last snow

April 16

Latest: May 19, 1971

0 of 75 winters had no measurable snow.

Station Cloquet (USC00211630), 1,265 ft elevation, 1.7 miles from the city centre. Daily records from 1911 to October 23, 2026; 98.0% of days in the last 30 years are complete. Records at a single station can differ from a city’s official threaded record, which may combine several stations.

NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily.

Federal disaster declarations

10 since 1953. The most recent: Severe Storms and Flooding, July 19, 2023.

Declarations for Carlton County.

Federal disaster declarations
Jul 19, 2023FloodSevere Storms and FloodingMajor disasterDR-4722-MN
Apr 7, 2020BiologicalCovid-19 PandemicMajor disasterDR-4531-MN
Mar 13, 2020BiologicalCovid-19EmergencyEM-3453-MN
Sep 5, 2018FloodSevere Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and FloodingMajor disasterDR-4390-MN
Jul 6, 2012Severe StormSevere Storms and FloodingMajor disasterDR-4069-MN
Sep 13, 2005HurricaneHurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergencyEM-3242-MN
May 16, 2001FloodSevere Winter Storms, Flooding, and TornadoesMajor disasterDR-1370-MN
Jun 17, 1976DroughtDroughtEmergencyEM-3013-MN
Aug 25, 1972FloodSevere Storms & FloodingMajor disasterDR-350-MN
Aug 1, 1972FloodSevere Storms & FloodingMajor disasterDR-347-MN

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, retrieved October 30, 2026. Statewide declarations are not listed.

Sources and vintage

Every number on this page comes from these public records.

  • Tornadoes NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, through 2025.
  • Tropical cyclones NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 (Atlantic; Northeast and Central Pacific), through 2025.
  • Wildfire USGS/USFS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity, through 2026.
  • Storm events NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, through 2026.
  • Flood insurance OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026.
  • Declarations OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2, retrieved October 30, 2026.
  • Weather records NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily, station USC00211630.
  • River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, retrieved October 30, 2026.
  • Drought NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, through September 2026.
  • Smoke NOAA NESDIS Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, retrieved October 30, 2026.
  • Landslides USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0 (2025).
  • Earthquakes USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), retrieved October 30, 2026.

Joins, thresholds and known limits are set out in the methodology. Found an error? Report it. Page built October 30, 2026.