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Climate in Aetna Township · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Aetna Township’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.

A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 6°, and about 42 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

Colder January nights than 98% of U.S. towns#142 coldest of 271 in MN
More snow than 76% of U.S. towns#191Snowiest  of 268 in MN
All MN rankings →

A year in Aetna Township at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan22°6° 7" snow
Feb27°9° 6" snow
Mar39°21° 9" snow
Apr54°32° 5" snow
May67°45° Last frost ~May 41 day 90°+
Jun77°56° 2 days 90°+Wettest
Jul81°60° 4 days 90°+
Aug79°57° 2 days 90°+
Sep71°49° 1 day 90°+
Oct57°36° First frost ~Oct 2
Nov now40°22° 8" snow
Dec27°11° 6" snow

What stands out about Aetna Township’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Aetna Township’s place in Minnesota beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Aetna Township feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
25° / 9°
14 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
54° / 33°
Last frost around May 4
Summer
79° / 57°
11 days reach 90°
Fall
56° / 36°
First frost around Oct 2
Best months to be outsideMayJunJulAugSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 152 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 4 and the first by October 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Pipestone, MN, 13 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.

173
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
53rd most of 271 in Minnesota
More freezing nights than 96% of U.S. towns
35
nights at or below 0°
79th most of 271 in Minnesota
More nights at or below 0° than all but 180 U.S. towns
11
days that reach 90°
195th fewest of 271 in Minnesota
Fewer 90° days than 73% of U.S. towns
<1
days that reach 100°
Fewer 100° days than 68% of U.S. towns
4bUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 4b

The 2023 USDA map puts Aetna Township’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −21°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

31
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90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

4.4
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Rain & snow

About 42 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Tyler, MN, falls mostly in March and November. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 29 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 89 days a year.

29"
Rain + melted snow a year
58th driest of 271 in Minnesota
Drier than 86% of U.S. towns
42"
Snow in a normal winter
191st snowiest of 268 in Minnesota
More snow than 76% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

4.8"
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Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

9"
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Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Aetna Township

93% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.

8,088 heating degree daysMore heating than 97% of U.S. towns
637 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 74% of U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Pipestone, MN.

Living here

Living with Aetna Township’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

152 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 4 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 2.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 2.0 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Aetna Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (40%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 17%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Aetna Township and its neighbors

Every town next door is within a degree of Aetna Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.

Altona Township: January low 5°, July high 82°Grange Township: January low 5°, July high 82°Skandia Township: January low 6°, July high 82°Cameron Township: January low 6°, July high 82°Shelburne Township: January low 6°, July high 82°Burke Township: January low 6°, July high 82°Holland: January low 6°, July high 82°Gray Township: January low 6°, July high 82°Tyler: January low 5°, July high 82°Lake Benton Township: January low 5°, July high 81°Marshfield Township: January low 6°, July high 82°Fountain Prairie Township: January low 5°, July high 82°Ellsborough Township: January low 5°, July high 82°Rock Township: January low 6°, July high 81°Hope Township: January low 5°, July high 82°Aetna Township: January low 6°, July high 81°Aetna TownshipFountain Prairie TownshipEllsborough TownshipRock TownshipHope Township
ColderMilder5° to 6°
Fountain Prairie Township5.1° about the same
Hope Township5.2° about the same
Ellsborough Township5.4° about the same
Aetna Township5.6°
Rock Township5.7° about the same

Climates most like Aetna Township’s, farther away

TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
Aetna Township, MN6°81°29"42"
Stevens Point, WI7°81°33"49"
Iron Mountain, MI5°80°29"61"
Clear Lake, IA7°82°36"44"
Plattsburgh, NY9°81°35"50"

Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Aetna Township averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.7°).

+0.9°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A smaller shift than in 83% of U.S. towns.

Winter+2.4°now 17°, was 14°
Spring+0.6°now 43°, was 42°
Summer−0.1°now 68°, was 68°
Fall+0.7°now 46°, was 45°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How Aetna Township compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Aetna Township’s place among Minnesota’s.

Summer heat81° July high
Cooler July afternoons than 86% of U.S. towns63rd coolest of 271 in Minnesota
Winter cold6° January low
Colder January nights than 98% of U.S. towns142nd coldest of 271 in Minnesota
Precipitation29" a year
Drier than 86% of U.S. towns58th driest of 271 in Minnesota
Snow42" a winter
More snow than 76% of U.S. towns191st snowiest of 268 in Minnesota
Hot days11 days at 90°+
Fewer 90° days than 73% of U.S. towns195th fewest of 271 in Minnesota
Freezing nights173 a year
More freezing nights than 96% of U.S. towns53rd most of 271 in Minnesota
Growing season152 frost-free days
A shorter frost-free season than 91% of U.S. towns84th shortest of 270 in Minnesota
Month by month

Aetna Township weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Aetna Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Tyler, MN. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet days30-yr range
January22°6°0.7"6.5"53° – 27°
February27°9°0.8"6.2"45° – 30°
March39°21°1.5"8.8"620° – 45°
April54°32°2.9"5.4"832° – 51°
May67°45°4.0"0.0"1251° – 63°
June77°56°4.8"0.0"1261° – 70°
July81°60°3.7"0.0"962° – 77°
August79°57°3.6"0.0"963° – 72°
September71°49°3.3"0.0"853° – 65°
October57°36°2.3"0.4"739° – 52°
November40°22°1.2"8.3"521° – 43°
December27°11°0.9"6.4"55° – 26°
Year54°34°29.4"42.0"89
Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 5° to 30°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Aetna Township’s numbers come from

Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →

  • Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Aetna Township’s center.
  • Snow: Tyler, MN.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Pipestone, MN, 13 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
  • Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  • Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
  • Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).

Common questions about Aetna Township’s climate

What is the weather like in Aetna Township?

A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 6°, and about 42 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 98% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 86% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Aetna Township in winter?

January nights average 6°. About 173 nights a year reach 32° or below and 35 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 3°.

How much snow does Aetna Township get?

About 42 inches in a normal winter at Tyler, MN, most of it in March and November.

How hot does it get in Aetna Township?

July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 60°. About 11 days a year reach 90° (Pipestone, MN).

When is the first and last frost in Aetna Township?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 4 and the first fall frost by October 2, about 152 frost-free days, at Pipestone, MN.

What growing zone is Aetna Township in?

Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −21°.

What is the best time of year to visit Aetna Township?

By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.

Is Aetna Township getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 83% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Aetna Township.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.