Mountain Iron, MN climate
Mountain Iron has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to -3°, and about 69 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Mountain Iron feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Mountain Iron 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 | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 17° | -3° | 0.8" | 13.4" | 7 | -6° – 21° |
| February | 24° | 0° | 0.7" | 10.8" | 7 | 1° – 28° |
| March | 37° | 13° | 1.1" | 7.9" | 6 | 15° – 38° |
| April | 51° | 26° | 1.8" | 8.0" | 8 | 30° – 47° |
| May | 65° | 39° | 3.0" | 0.4" | 12 | 46° – 58° |
| June | 74° | 49° | 4.2" | 0 | 13 | 57° – 67° |
| July | 78° | 53° | 3.9" | 0 | 13 | 59° – 71° |
| August | 76° | 51° | 3.4" | 0 | 10 | 58° – 67° |
| September | 67° | 44° | 3.5" | 0 | 12 | 48° – 61° |
| October | 52° | 32° | 2.6" | 2.4" | 10 | 34° – 47° |
| November | 35° | 19° | 1.5" | 11.0" | 9 | 17° – 38° |
| December | 22° | 5° | 1.0" | 14.8" | 8 | 0° – 23° |
| Year | 50° | 27° | 27.4" | 68.7" | 116 |
“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 Mountain Iron
Mountain Iron gets 27 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 116 days a year.
About 141 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 12 and the first one by October 1. That leaves about 141 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 88% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Mountain Iron
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Mountain Iron, 98% of that work is heating and 2% 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.
Mountain Iron and its neighbors
Mountain Iron borders 6 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 1.1°. Wuori has the coldest January nights (-4°) and Clinton the hottest July afternoons (78°). Mountain Iron’s January low is -3° and its July high 78°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Mountain Iron 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 Mountain Iron averaged 2.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+4.4°). The shift is larger than in 99% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Mountain Iron’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 1° to 28°. August is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Common questions about Mountain Iron’s climate
What is the coldest month in Mountain Iron?
January, with a typical high of 17° and a low of -3°.
What is the hottest month in Mountain Iron?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 53°. About 2 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Mountain Iron get?
About 69 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Mountain Iron?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 1, and the last spring frost by May 12.
What is the rainiest month in Mountain Iron?
June, with 4.2 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 27 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Mountain Iron itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Tower 2s, MN (23 mi, snow) and Eveleth WWTP, MN (7 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.