Demolition of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome begins.

Some state government agencies and departments are shut down because of an impasse between Governor Tim Pawlenty (R) and the DFL-controlled senate. Almost 8,900 state employees are furloughed for nine days until a compromise is reached.

Light rail service between the Minneapolis and St. Paul downtowns begins. Called the Green Line, the eleven-mile line passes through the University of Minnesota campus and along University Avenue.

Light rail service on the Blue Line, between downtown Minneapolis and Fort Snelling, begins. Full service to MSP Airport and the Mall of America begins on December 4, 2004. Through the end of 2013, there are 90.5 million rides on the Blue Line.

The first commuter rail train in Minnesota carries passengers from Big Lake to downtown Minneapolis. The Northstar Rail Line cost $320 million and is funded by the federal and state governments, the regional rail authorities for Anoka, Hennepin, and Sherburne counties, the Metropolitan Council, and the Minnesota Twins.

Governor Mark Dayton orders all schools in the state closed due to cold-weather predictions. This will be the first of many temperature-related closures this winter, leading districts to develop related policies. The 2013–2014 winter is the coldest since 1978–1979.

Flash flooding kills seven and causes $67 million in damages in Dodge, Fillmore, Houston, Olmsted, Steele, Wabasha, and Winona counties. People are evacuated from Rushford, Stockton, Houston, Elba, Minnesota City, and portions of Winona.

A massive storm, which continues into June 20, drops over seven inches of rain on Duluth and surrounding areas. 3,100 homes and businesses are damaged. Total damage estimates are set at $100 million. Floodwaters overwhelm the Duluth Zoo, killing several animals and leading several others to escape. The Swinging Bridge in Jay Cooke State Park is destroyed.

Bobby Tufts is elected mayor of Dorset—a symbolic rather than a practical office. He is four years old.

The Republican National Convention begins at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. John McCain was selected as the Republican presidential candidate.