Mount Vernon, MN climate
Mount Vernon has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 8°, and about 36 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Mount Vernon feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Mount Vernon 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° | 8° | 1.1" | 8.8" | 8 | 24 | 4° – 29° |
| February | 29° | 11° | 1.1" | 9.2" | 7 | 25 | 6° – 32° |
| March | 41° | 23° | 2.1" | 5.6" | 9 | 14 | 25° – 49° |
| April | 56° | 35° | 3.7" | 1.5" | 12 | 1 | 35° – 53° |
| May | 68° | 46° | 4.6" | 0.1" | 13 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| June | 78° | 57° | 5.4" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| July | 81° | 61° | 4.3" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 65° – 77° |
| August | 79° | 59° | 4.7" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| September | 72° | 51° | 3.9" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 54° – 67° |
| October | 58° | 39° | 2.6" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 42° – 54° |
| November | 42° | 26° | 1.9" | 1.7" | 8 | 2 | 25° – 46° |
| December | 29° | 14° | 1.4" | 9.0" | 9 | 18 | 7° – 32° |
| Year | 55° | 36° | 36.8" | 36.0" | 118 | 84 |
“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 Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon gets 37 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 118 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 84 days of the year.
About 175 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 23 and the first one by October 16. That leaves about 175 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 54% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Mount Vernon
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Mount Vernon, 91% of that work is heating and 9% 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.
Mount Vernon and its neighbors
Mount Vernon borders 5 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 1.0°. Whitewater has the coldest January nights (7°) and Milton the hottest July afternoons (83°). Mount Vernon’s January low is 8° and its July high 81°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Mount Vernon 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 Mount Vernon averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.0°). The shift is larger than in 61% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Mount Vernon’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 6° to 32°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Common questions about Mount Vernon’s climate
What is the coldest month in Mount Vernon?
January, with a typical high of 23° and a low of 8°.
What is the hottest month in Mount Vernon?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 61°. About 14 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Mount Vernon get?
About 36 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in Mount Vernon?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 16, and the last spring frost by April 23.
What is the rainiest month in Mount Vernon?
June, with 5.4 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 37 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Mount Vernon itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Minnesota City Dam 5, MN (4 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.