Wolf Lake, MN climate
Wolf Lake has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to -1°, and about 46 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Wolf Lake feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Wolf 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 | 17° | -1° | 0.7" | 9.6" | 5 | 30 | -6° – 23° |
| February | 22° | 2° | 0.6" | 8.0" | 5 | 27 | 1° – 28° |
| March | 35° | 16° | 1.1" | 7.8" | 6 | 25 | 15° – 40° |
| April | 51° | 30° | 2.0" | 3.3" | 7 | 7 | 31° – 49° |
| May | 65° | 42° | 3.3" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 47° – 60° |
| June | 74° | 53° | 4.5" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| July | 78° | 57° | 4.0" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 61° – 73° |
| August | 76° | 55° | 3.0" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 59° – 70° |
| September | 68° | 47° | 2.9" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 50° – 63° |
| October | 52° | 35° | 2.6" | 1.2" | 9 | 1 | 36° – 49° |
| November | 35° | 20° | 1.0" | 5.3" | 5 | 9 | 18° – 39° |
| December | 22° | 7° | 0.8" | 10.4" | 7 | 25 | 0° – 24° |
| Year | 50° | 30° | 26.4" | 45.6" | 97 | 124 |
“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 Wolf Lake
Wolf 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 97 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 124 days of the 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 Wolf Lake
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Wolf 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.
Wolf Lake and its neighbors
Wolf Lake borders 5 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.8°. Carsonville has the coldest January nights (-2°) and Green Valley the hottest July afternoons (79°). Wolf Lake’s January low is -1° and its July high 78°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Wolf 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 Wolf Lake averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.0°). The shift is larger than in 75% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Wolf 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 9°.
Common questions about Wolf Lake’s climate
What is the coldest month in Wolf Lake?
January, with a typical high of 17° and a low of -1°.
What is the hottest month in Wolf Lake?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 57°.
How much snow does Wolf Lake get?
About 46 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Wolf 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 Wolf Lake?
June, with 4.5 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 26 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Wolf Lake itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at New York Mills, MN (23 mi, snow) and Detroit Lakes 12e, MN (11 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.