Climate Design Data for Minneapolis, MN (Zone 6A)
Climate design data for Minneapolis, MN — ASHRAE / IECC Zone 6A, typical 99% heating and 1% cooling design temperatures, and the envelope implications of a cold, heating-dominated climate.
Climate Design Data for Minneapolis, MN (Zone 6A)
Direct answer
Climate zone, typical heating and cooling design temperatures, and envelope implications for Minneapolis — a cold, moist Zone 6A city — framed as illustrative for schematic design.
Key facts
| Metric | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Climate zone | 6A | cold, moist |
| 99% heating design (illustrative) | ~ -12°F to -16°F | confirm ASHRAE table |
| 0.4% cooling design (illustrative) | ~ 89–92°F DB | with coincident WB |
| Envelope emphasis | high R, low U, continuous ci | heating-dominated |
Minneapolis at a glance — Zone 6A
Minneapolis sits in ASHRAE / IECC Climate Zone 6A: a cold thermal zone with a moist regime. Design is strongly heating-dominated — the envelope and mechanical strategy revolve around minimizing winter heat loss while managing moisture.
Typical design conditions (illustrative)
| Parameter | Illustrative value | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Climate zone | 6A | Sets prescriptive envelope targets |
| 99% heating design DB | ~ -12°F to -16°F | Sizing heating capacity |
| 0.4% cooling design DB | ~ 89–92°F | Sizing sensible cooling |
| Coincident wet-bulb | ~ 73–75°F | Latent / dehumidification load |
These are round, illustrative figures. Pull authoritative numbers from the ASHRAE Climatic Design Conditions for the Minneapolis–St. Paul Intl. station.
What Zone 6A drives in the envelope
- High insulation R-values at roof, walls, and below-grade — well above warm-climate minimums.
- Continuous insulation to control thermal bridging and keep sheathing above the dew point.
- Low-U fenestration — triple glazing is common; U-factor is the dominant window metric here, not SHGC.
- Air sealing and vapor control tuned for a cold, moist climate to prevent interstitial condensation.
- SHGC largely unrestricted — winter solar gain is a benefit, not a cooling penalty, in Zone 6.
Take it into design
Set the project's climate zone to 6A before making schematic envelope decisions in Harth, then bracket wall/roof R-values and window U-factors against the cold-zone targets — and confirm the exact numbers against Minnesota's adopted energy code edition and the ASHRAE design tables before you commit.
Minneapolis climate-data intake card
Do not mix a climate-zone lookup with HVAC design conditions. Complete this card from a licensed or public authoritative table before equipment sizing or publication.
| Field | Required record |
|---|---|
| Station | Minneapolis–St. Paul station name and identifier used |
| Coordinates / elevation | Values printed by the source |
| Source edition | ASHRAE Handbook—Fundamentals or Standard 169 edition |
| Observation period | Years represented by the station calculation |
| Heating | 99.6% and 99% dry-bulb, with units |
| Cooling | 0.4%, 1% and 2% dry-bulb plus mean coincident wet-bulb |
| Moisture | Cooling dew-point / humidity condition required by the analysis |
| Local code | Minnesota energy-code edition and effective date |
| Checked | Reviewer, date and source URL or licensed table reference |
ASHRAE says the 2025 climatic dataset covers 12,424 stations and that reuse by software requires the applicable data license. Until an exact Minneapolis station row and license are recorded, the round values above are orientation only and this page must remain out of the index.
Frequently asked questions
What climate zone is Minneapolis in?
Minneapolis is in ASHRAE / IECC Climate Zone 6A — a cold thermal zone (6) with a moist (A) regime. In practice this means a strongly heating-dominated design: high roof and wall insulation, continuous insulation to control thermal bridging, low-U (often triple-glazed) windows, and careful air sealing and vapor control for the cold, moist conditions.
What heating design temperature is used for Minneapolis?
For a Zone 6A city like Minneapolis the 99% / 99.6% heating design dry-bulb typically lands well below 0°F — often in the range of roughly -12°F to -16°F for illustration. Use the official ASHRAE Climatic Design Conditions value for the Minneapolis–St. Paul International station rather than these round figures when sizing equipment.
Does the moist (A) designation change how I build in Minneapolis?
Yes. The A (moist) regime means vapor drive and condensation risk must be managed in a cold climate — assemblies are typically detailed to keep the dew point within insulation and to place vapor control appropriately for a cold zone. It is one reason continuous exterior insulation is favored: it keeps the sheathing warmer and reduces condensation risk.
Source & method: Minneapolis sits in ASHRAE/IECC Climate Zone 6A. Design temperatures shown are typical/illustrative for a cold-climate metro; confirm the official ASHRAE Climatic Design Conditions for the nearest station (e.g. Minneapolis–St. Paul Intl.) and the Minnesota-adopted energy code edition, which are authoritative.