Grand Marais, MN climate
Grand Marais has cold, snowy winters and cool summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 73°, a January night drops to 3°, and about 51 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Grand Marais feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Grand Marais weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 20° | 3° | 1.1" | 15.6" | 7 | 28 | -1° – 23° |
| February | 24° | 3° | 1.1" | 8.7" | 5 | 28 | 0° – 26° |
| March | 34° | 13° | 1.3" | 6.0" | 5 | 26 | 14° – 34° |
| April | 46° | 25° | 2.3" | 3.3" | 7 | 9 | 29° – 43° |
| May | 59° | 37° | 3.1" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 44° – 52° |
| June | 68° | 47° | 3.9" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 54° – 62° |
| July | 73° | 52° | 3.7" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 56° – 68° |
| August | 71° | 51° | 2.9" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| September | 64° | 44° | 3.2" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| October | 50° | 33° | 3.2" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 36° – 46° |
| November | 35° | 21° | 2.1" | 3.8" | 7 | 6 | 19° – 37° |
| December | 24° | 9° | 1.6" | 13.4" | 7 | 21 | 5° – 25° |
| Year | 47° | 28° | 29.4" | 50.9" | 97 | 119 |
“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 and snow in Grand Marais
Grand Marais gets 29 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 97 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 119 days of the year.
About 137 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 20 and the first one by October 5. That leaves about 137 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 91% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Grand Marais
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Grand Marais, 99% of that work is heating and 1% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
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.
How Grand Marais compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Grand Marais averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.7°). The shift is larger than in 60% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Grand Marais’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. February swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 0° to 26°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Common questions about Grand Marais’s climate
What is the coldest month in Grand Marais?
January, with a typical high of 20° and a low of 3°.
What is the hottest month in Grand Marais?
July, with a typical high of 73° and a low of 52°.
How much snow does Grand Marais get?
About 51 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Grand Marais?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 5, and the last spring frost by May 20.
What is the rainiest month in Grand Marais?
June, with 3.9 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 29 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Grand Marais itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Grand Marais, MN (1 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.