Tower, MN climate
Tower has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to -5°, and about 69 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Tower feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Tower 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 | 16° | -5° | 0.9" | 13.4" | 7 | -7° – 20° |
| February | 24° | -2° | 0.8" | 10.8" | 7 | -2° – 28° |
| March | 37° | 12° | 1.0" | 7.9" | 6 | 12° – 38° |
| April | 51° | 25° | 1.9" | 8.0" | 8 | 30° – 46° |
| May | 65° | 38° | 3.0" | 0.4" | 12 | 46° – 57° |
| June | 74° | 48° | 4.0" | 0 | 13 | 57° – 67° |
| July | 78° | 53° | 4.1" | 0 | 13 | 59° – 70° |
| August | 76° | 51° | 3.2" | 0 | 10 | 58° – 67° |
| September | 67° | 43° | 3.5" | 0 | 12 | 48° – 61° |
| October | 52° | 32° | 2.7" | 2.4" | 10 | 34° – 47° |
| November | 35° | 19° | 1.6" | 11.0" | 9 | 16° – 37° |
| December | 22° | 4° | 1.2" | 14.8" | 8 | -2° – 23° |
| Year | 50° | 27° | 27.9" | 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 Tower
Tower gets 28 inches of rain and melted snow a year. July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 116 days a year.
A year-round growing season
Heating and cooling a home in Tower
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Tower, 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.
Tower and its neighbors
Tower borders 2 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.3°. Breitung has both the coldest January nights (-5°) and the hottest July afternoons (78°). Tower’s January low is -5° and its July high 78°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Tower 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 Tower averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.9°). The shift is larger than in 92% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Tower’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 -2° to 28°. August is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Common questions about Tower’s climate
What is the coldest month in Tower?
January, with a typical high of 16° and a low of -5°.
What is the hottest month in Tower?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 53°. About 4 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Tower get?
About 69 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Tower?
Frost is uncommon. Only 100% of years see a night at 32° or below.
What is the rainiest month in Tower?
July, with 4.1 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 28 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Tower itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Tower 2s, MN (2 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.