Lake Crystal, MN climate
Lake Crystal has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 6°, and about 39 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Lake Crystal feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Lake Crystal 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 | 23° | 6° | 0.8" | 8.2" | 6 | 25 | 3° – 27° |
| February | 28° | 11° | 0.9" | 6.9" | 5 | 20 | 8° – 31° |
| March | 41° | 23° | 1.7" | 7.4" | 8 | 10 | 24° – 48° |
| April | 56° | 35° | 3.2" | 1.6" | 10 | 1 | 34° – 54° |
| May | 69° | 48° | 4.3" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 53° – 66° |
| June | 79° | 59° | 5.0" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| July | 82° | 62° | 4.1" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 65° – 78° |
| August | 80° | 59° | 4.0" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| September | 73° | 51° | 3.3" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 56° – 67° |
| October | 59° | 38° | 2.5" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 42° – 53° |
| November | 42° | 25° | 1.5" | 5.9" | 6 | 6 | 24° – 46° |
| December | 28° | 13° | 1.1" | 8.6" | 7 | 19 | 6° – 28° |
| Year | 55° | 36° | 32.5" | 38.7" | 99 | 82 |
“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 Lake Crystal
Lake Crystal gets 32 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 99 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 82 days of the year.
About 161 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first one by October 9. That leaves about 161 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 70% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Lake Crystal
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Lake Crystal, 92% of that work is heating and 8% 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.
Lake Crystal and its neighbors
Lake Crystal borders 2 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.0°. Judson has the coldest January nights (6°) and Garden City the hottest July afternoons (83°). Lake Crystal’s January low is 6° and its July high 82°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Lake Crystal 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 Lake Crystal averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.4°). The shift is smaller than in 87% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Lake Crystal’s spot on NOAA’s grid
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°.
Common questions about Lake Crystal’s climate
What is the coldest month in Lake Crystal?
January, with a typical high of 23° and a low of 6°.
What is the hottest month in Lake Crystal?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 62°. About 10 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Lake Crystal get?
About 39 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Lake Crystal?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 9, and the last spring frost by April 30.
What is the rainiest month in Lake Crystal?
June, with 5.0 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 32 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Lake Crystal itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Mankato, MN (10 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.