Climate · Bancroft

Bancroft, MN climate

Bancroft has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 6°, and about 40 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
81°
1306th hottest of 2,691 Minnesota towns
January low
6°
438th mildest of 2,691 Minnesota towns
Rain + melted snow
36 in
176th wettest of 2,691 Minnesota towns
Snow a winter
40 in
301st least snowy of 2,448 Minnesota towns
A normal year

What a year in Bancroft feels like

Winter

26° / 10°
Typical high / low · 15 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

55° / 35°
Typical high / low · Last frost around Apr 27

Summer

79° / 59°
Typical high / low · 8 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

58° / 37°
Typical high / low · First frost around Oct 9
Best months to be outsideMayJunJulAugSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Bancroft weather by month

Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January23°6°1.0" 8.9"726 4° – 27°
February27°10°1.0" 9.8"621 8° – 30°
March40°23°2.0" 6.6"814 24° – 48°
April56°35°3.6" 2.8"112 33° – 53°
May68°47°4.7" 0.3"130 51° – 64°
June78°57°5.4" 0120 64° – 72°
July81°61°4.8" 0110 64° – 77°
August79°58°4.3" 0100 63° – 73°
September72°50°3.6" 090 54° – 67°
October59°37°2.6" 0.3"100 42° – 53°
November42°25°1.7" 2.7"74 24° – 46°
December28°13°1.3" 8.1"718 6° – 29°
Year54°35°35.8"39.5"11184

“Wet days” have at least 0.01" of rain or melted snow. “Snow on ground” counts days with 1" or more. The 30-year range is the coldest and warmest that month’s average temperature got between 1991 and 2020.

Rain & snow

Rain and snow in Bancroft

Bancroft gets 36 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 111 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 84 days of the year.

36 in
Rain + melted snow a year
Less rain than 63% of U.S. towns
40 in
Snow in a normal winter
More snow than 70% of U.S. towns
84 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
More than 84% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
5.4"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
9.8"
Frost & the growing season

About 164 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 27 and the first one by October 9. That leaves about 164 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 67% of U.S. towns.

159
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
28
nights below 0° in a normal year
8
days that reach 90° in a normal year

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Bancroft

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Bancroft, 92% of that work is heating and 8% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.

92%heating
7,828 heating degree daysMore heating than 84% of U.S. towns
650 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 65% of U.S. towns

Degree days measure how far each day’s average temperature falls below or rises above 65°, added up over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.

Around Bancroft

Bancroft and its neighbors

Bancroft borders 6 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.3°. Clarks Grove has the coldest January nights (6°) and Albert Lea the hottest July afternoons (81°). Bancroft’s January low is 6° and its July high 81°.

Pickerel Lake: January low 7°, July high 81°Geneva: January low 6°, July high 81°Hartland: January low 7°, July high 81°Carlston: January low 6°, July high 81°Freeman: January low 6°, July high 81°Hayward: January low 7°, July high 81°Hollandale: January low 6°, July high 81°Moscow: January low 6°, July high 81°Albert Lea: January low 6°, July high 81°Clarks Grove: January low 6°, July high 81°Bath: January low 6°, July high 81°Manchester: January low 6°, July high 81°Albert Lea: January low 7°, July high 81°Riceland: January low 6°, July high 81°Bancroft: January low 6°, July high 81° BancroftAlbert LeaClarks GroveBathManchesterAlbert LeaRiceland
ColderMilder6° to 7°
Bancroft6.2°
Clarks Grove6.2° same
Riceland6.2° same
Albert Lea6.3° +0.1°
Bath6.3° +0.1°
Manchester6.4° +0.2°
Albert Lea6.5° +0.3°

Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.

Compared with other towns

How Bancroft compares

Summer heat81° July high
Cooler than 81% of U.S. towns1306th hottest of 2,691 Minnesota towns
Winter cold6° January low
Colder than 88% of U.S. towns438th mildest of 2,691 Minnesota towns
Precipitation36" a year
Drier than 63% of U.S. towns176th wettest of 2,691 Minnesota towns
Snow40" a winter
Snowier than 70% of U.S. towns301st least snowy of 2,448 Minnesota towns
Growing season164 frost-free days
Shorter than 67% of U.S. towns226th longest of 2,672 Minnesota towns

Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

+1.0°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Bancroft averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.1°). The shift is smaller than in 72% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+2.4° now 18°, was 16°
🌷 Spring+0.8° now 45°, was 44°
☀️ Summer+0.1° now 69°, was 69°
🍂 Fall+0.6° now 47°, was 47°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Bancroft’s spot on NOAA’s grid

Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. March swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 24° to 48°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Bancroft’s climate

What is the coldest month in Bancroft?

January, with a typical high of 23° and a low of 6°.

What is the hottest month in Bancroft?

July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 61°. About 8 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Bancroft get?

About 40 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.

When is the first frost in Bancroft?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 9, and the last spring frost by April 27.

What is the rainiest month in Bancroft?

June, with 5.4 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 36 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Bancroft itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Albert Lea 3se, MN (8 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.

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