Climate · Tofte

Tofte, MN climate

Tofte has cold winters and cool summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 75°, a January night drops to -2°.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
75°
4th coolest of 2,691 Minnesota towns
January low
-2°
536th coldest of 2,691 Minnesota towns
Rain + melted snow
30 in
1016th wettest of 2,691 Minnesota towns
A normal year

What a year in Tofte feels like

Winter

21° / 2°
Typical high / low · Snow is rare

Spring

47° / 24°
Typical high / low · Last frost around May 26

Summer

73° / 50°
Typical high / low · 90° days are rare

Fall

49° / 32°
Typical high / low · First frost around Sep 27
Best months to be outsideJunJulAugSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Tofte weather by month

Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + melt30-yr range
January17°-2°1.1" -5° – 20°
February23°0°1.1" -2° – 25°
March34°12°1.4" 13° – 35°
April47°25°2.4" 29° – 44°
May61°37°3.1" 44° – 54°
June70°47°4.0" 55° – 63°
July75°52°3.8" 56° – 69°
August73°51°3.0" 56° – 66°
September64°44°3.4" 46° – 59°
October50°32°3.1" 35° – 45°
November34°20°2.1" 17° – 37°
December22°6°1.7" 1° – 23°
Year47°27°30.0"

“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 & snow

Rain and snow in Tofte

Tofte gets 30 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and February the driest.

30 in
Rain + melted snow a year
Less rain than 75% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
4.0"

Snowfall by month

No snow records from a nearby station.
Frost & the growing season

About 126 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 26 and the first one by September 27. That leaves about 126 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 96% of U.S. towns.

202
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
54
nights below 0° in a normal year
<1
days that reach 90° in a normal year

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Tofte

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Tofte, 99% of that work is heating and 1% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.

99%heating
10,382 heating degree daysMore heating than 100% of U.S. towns
100 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 98% of U.S. towns

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.

Compared with other towns

How Tofte compares

Summer heat75° July high
Cooler than 98% of U.S. towns4th coolest of 2,691 Minnesota towns
Winter cold-2° January low
Colder than 98% of U.S. towns536th coldest of 2,691 Minnesota towns
Precipitation30" a year
Drier than 75% of U.S. towns1016th wettest of 2,691 Minnesota towns
Growing season126 frost-free days
Shorter than 96% of U.S. towns140th shortest of 2,672 Minnesota towns

Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

+1.5°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Tofte averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.1°). The shift is larger than in 69% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+2.8° now 11°, was 8°
🌷 Spring+0.9° now 36°, was 35°
☀️ Summer+1.0° now 61°, was 60°
🍂 Fall+1.3° now 41°, was 39°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Tofte’s spot on NOAA’s grid

Year to year

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 -2° to 25°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Tofte’s climate

What is the coldest month in Tofte?

January, with a typical high of 17° and a low of -2°.

What is the hottest month in Tofte?

July, with a typical high of 75° and a low of 52°.

When is the first frost in Tofte?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 27, and the last spring frost by May 26.

What is the rainiest month in Tofte?

June, with 4.0 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 30 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Tofte itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Lutsen 3nne, MN (10 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.

The door’s open

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Tofte, MNCook CountyView boundary

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01