Sunfish Lake, MN climate
Sunfish Lake has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 7°, and about 51 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Sunfish Lake feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Sunfish 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 | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 23° | 7° | 0.8" | 11.0" | 10 | 26 | 3° – 28° |
| February | 28° | 11° | 0.8" | 9.5" | 8 | 22 | 7° – 31° |
| March | 41° | 23° | 1.7" | 8.2" | 9 | 13 | 23° – 47° |
| April | 56° | 36° | 2.9" | 3.5" | 11 | 2 | 36° – 54° |
| May | 69° | 48° | 4.2" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 53° – 66° |
| June | 78° | 59° | 4.7" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| July | 82° | 63° | 4.2" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 66° – 78° |
| August | 80° | 61° | 4.6" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 65° – 75° |
| September | 72° | 53° | 3.4" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 55° – 67° |
| October | 58° | 39° | 2.7" | 0.8" | 10 | 0 | 42° – 54° |
| November | 41° | 26° | 1.6" | 6.8" | 8 | 6 | 24° – 46° |
| December | 28° | 14° | 1.1" | 11.4" | 10 | 21 | 7° – 30° |
| Year | 55° | 37° | 32.7" | 51.2" | 119 | 90 |
“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 Sunfish Lake
Sunfish Lake gets 33 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 119 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 90 days of the year.
About 169 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 25 and the first one by October 12. That leaves about 169 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 62% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Sunfish Lake
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Sunfish Lake, 92% of that work is heating and 8% 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.
Sunfish Lake and its neighbors
Sunfish Lake borders 2 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.1°. Inver Grove Heights has both the coldest January nights (7°) and the hottest July afternoons (82°). Sunfish Lake’s January low is 7° and its July high 82°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Sunfish 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 Sunfish Lake averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.4°). The shift is larger than in 67% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Sunfish 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 3° to 28°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Common questions about Sunfish Lake’s climate
What is the coldest month in Sunfish Lake?
January, with a typical high of 23° and a low of 7°.
What is the hottest month in Sunfish Lake?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 63°. About 8 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Sunfish Lake get?
About 51 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Sunfish Lake?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 12, and the last spring frost by April 25.
What is the rainiest month in Sunfish Lake?
June, with 4.7 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 33 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Sunfish Lake itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Minneapolis/st Paul Airport, MN (7 mi, snow) and St Paul 3sw, MN (5 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.