Northern, MN climate
Northern has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to -3°, and about 49 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Northern feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Northern 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° | 0.7" | 9.1" | 8 | -5° – 23° |
| February | 23° | 0° | 0.7" | 9.3" | 7 | 1° – 29° |
| March | 36° | 15° | 1.0" | 6.2" | 7 | 16° – 38° |
| April | 51° | 28° | 1.8" | 5.6" | 9 | 31° – 48° |
| May | 65° | 41° | 2.9" | 0 | 12 | 47° – 59° |
| June | 74° | 52° | 4.2" | 0 | 13 | 58° – 68° |
| July | 78° | 56° | 3.6" | 0 | 11 | 60° – 72° |
| August | 77° | 54° | 3.2" | 0 | 9 | 58° – 69° |
| September | 68° | 45° | 2.9" | 0 | 10 | 50° – 62° |
| October | 52° | 34° | 2.6" | 1.4" | 10 | 35° – 49° |
| November | 35° | 20° | 1.2" | 5.8" | 7 | 17° – 40° |
| December | 22° | 6° | 0.9" | 11.5" | 9 | 0° – 23° |
| Year | 50° | 29° | 25.7" | 48.9" | 111 |
“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 Northern
Northern gets 26 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 111 days a year.
About 131 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 17 and the first one by September 26. That leaves about 131 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 94% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Northern
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Northern, 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.
Northern and its neighbors
Northern borders 6 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.6°. Turtle Lake has the coldest January nights (-3°) and Bemidji the hottest July afternoons (79°). Northern’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 Northern 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 Northern averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.4°). The shift is larger than in 82% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Northern’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 -5° to 23°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Common questions about Northern’s climate
What is the coldest month in Northern?
January, with a typical high of 17° and a low of -3°.
What is the hottest month in Northern?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 56°. About 4 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Northern get?
About 49 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Northern?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 26, and the last spring frost by May 17.
What is the rainiest month in Northern?
June, with 4.2 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 26 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Northern itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Cass Lake, MN (16 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.