Shell Lake, MN climate
Shell Lake has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to -2°, and about 48 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Shell Lake feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Shell Lake 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° | -2° | 0.7" | 8.3" | 6 | -6° – 23° |
| February | 22° | 1° | 0.6" | 9.4" | 7 | 1° – 28° |
| March | 36° | 16° | 1.1" | 7.7" | 7 | 15° – 40° |
| April | 51° | 30° | 1.9" | 5.3" | 8 | 31° – 49° |
| May | 65° | 42° | 3.2" | 0 | 12 | 47° – 60° |
| June | 74° | 53° | 4.4" | 0 | 13 | 58° – 68° |
| July | 79° | 57° | 3.9" | 0 | 11 | 61° – 73° |
| August | 77° | 54° | 3.0" | 0 | 9 | 59° – 70° |
| September | 68° | 46° | 2.9" | 0 | 10 | 50° – 63° |
| October | 53° | 34° | 2.6" | 1.1" | 10 | 36° – 49° |
| November | 36° | 20° | 1.0" | 4.8" | 7 | 18° – 39° |
| December | 23° | 6° | 0.8" | 11.0" | 9 | 0° – 23° |
| Year | 50° | 30° | 26.0" | 47.6" | 110 |
“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 Shell Lake
Shell Lake 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 110 days a year.
About 150 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 4 and the first one by October 3. That leaves about 150 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 81% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Shell Lake
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Shell Lake, 97% of that work is heating and 3% 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.
Shell Lake and its neighbors
Shell Lake borders 4 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.9°. Round Lake has the coldest January nights (-2°) and Height of Land the hottest July afternoons (79°). Shell Lake’s January low is -2° and its July high 79°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Shell Lake 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 Shell Lake averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.0°). The shift is larger than in 70% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Shell Lake’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 -6° to 23°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Common questions about Shell Lake’s climate
What is the coldest month in Shell Lake?
January, with a typical high of 17° and a low of -2°.
What is the hottest month in Shell Lake?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 57°.
How much snow does Shell Lake get?
About 48 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Shell Lake?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 3, and the last spring frost by May 4.
What is the rainiest month in Shell Lake?
June, with 4.4 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 26 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Shell Lake itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Detroit Lakes 1 Nne, MN (18 mi, snow) and Detroit Lakes 12e, MN (8 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.