Lowell, MN climate
Lowell has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to -2°, and about 50 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Lowell feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Lowell 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 | 16° | -2° | 0.6" | 10.1" | 8 | 31 | -7° – 23° |
| February | 21° | 2° | 0.5" | 8.6" | 6 | 27 | -1° – 27° |
| March | 35° | 17° | 0.9" | 7.8" | 7 | 21 | 15° – 39° |
| April | 53° | 31° | 1.3" | 3.8" | 8 | 5 | 32° – 50° |
| May | 67° | 43° | 2.8" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 49° – 62° |
| June | 77° | 54° | 4.1" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| July | 81° | 58° | 3.6" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 62° – 75° |
| August | 80° | 55° | 2.8" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 61° – 71° |
| September | 71° | 47° | 2.7" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| October | 54° | 34° | 2.0" | 1.5" | 9 | 1 | 36° – 50° |
| November | 36° | 20° | 0.8" | 5.6" | 7 | 12 | 16° – 41° |
| December | 22° | 6° | 0.7" | 12.4" | 8 | 27 | 1° – 24° |
| Year | 51° | 30° | 22.7" | 49.9" | 105 | 123 |
“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 Lowell
Lowell gets 23 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 105 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 123 days of the year.
About 138 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 11 and the first one by September 27. That leaves about 138 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 90% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Lowell
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Lowell, 96% of that work is heating and 4% 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.
Lowell and its neighbors
Lowell borders 5 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.5°. Crookston has the coldest January nights (-2°) and Crookston the hottest July afternoons (81°). Lowell’s January low is -2° and its July high 81°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Lowell 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 Lowell averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.1°). The shift is larger than in 63% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Lowell’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. January swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from -7° to 23°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Common questions about Lowell’s climate
What is the coldest month in Lowell?
January, with a typical high of 16° and a low of -2°.
What is the hottest month in Lowell?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 58°. About 7 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Lowell get?
About 50 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Lowell?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 27, and the last spring frost by May 11.
What is the rainiest month in Lowell?
June, with 4.1 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 23 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Lowell itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Red Lake Falls, MN (19 mi, snow) and Crookston Nw Exp Stn, MN (3 mi, frost, heat and degree days). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.