Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Alpha
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 82°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 85% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.1° more than in 1901–2000, led by January. Central heating does most of its work from October to April, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Alpha at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Alpha’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Alpha’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Alpha feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 162 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 28 and the first by October 8. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Sherburn 3wsw, MN, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Alpha’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −18°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 49 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Lakefield 2ne, MN, falls mostly in January, February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 31 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 106 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Alpha
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.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Sherburn 3wsw, MN.
Living with Alpha’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
162 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by Apr 28 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 8.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Alpha from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (45%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 21%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Alpha and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Alpha yet.
Climates most like Alpha’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.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha, MN | 6° | 82° | 31" | 49" |
| Waupaca, WI | 8° | 82° | 32" | 49" |
| Plattsburgh, NY | 9° | 81° | 35" | 50" |
| Iron Mountain, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
| Oelwein, IA | 8° | 82° | 38" | 39" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Alpha averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 68% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Alpha compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Alpha’s place among Minnesota’s.
Alpha weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Alpha’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Lakefield 2ne, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 23° | 6° | 0.8" | 9.2" | 7 | 25 | 4° – 27° |
| February | 28° | 11° | 0.8" | 9.3" | 7 | 22 | 8° – 30° |
| March | 41° | 23° | 1.6" | 7.8" | 8 | 13 | 24° – 48° |
| April | 56° | 34° | 3.2" | 5.4" | 11 | 3 | 34° – 53° |
| May | 69° | 47° | 4.4" | 0.3" | 14 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| June | 79° | 58° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| July | 82° | 61° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 64° – 78° |
| August | 80° | 58° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| September | 73° | 50° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| October | 59° | 37° | 2.3" | 1.1" | 8 | 0 | 41° – 54° |
| November | 42° | 24° | 1.4" | 5.2" | 6 | 6 | 23° – 45° |
| December | 28° | 12° | 1.0" | 10.2" | 7 | 19 | 6° – 28° |
| Year | 55° | 35° | 31.2" | 48.5" | 106 | 88 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 4° to 27°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Alpha’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 Alpha’s center.
- Snow: Lakefield 2ne, MN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Sherburn 3wsw, MN, 5 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 Alpha’s climate
What is the weather like in Alpha?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 6°, and about 49 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 97% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 78% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Alpha in winter?
January nights average 6°. About 161 nights a year reach 32° or below and 31 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 4°.
How much snow does Alpha get?
About 49 inches in a normal winter at Lakefield 2ne, MN, most of it in January, February and December, with snow on the ground about 88 days a year.
How hot does it get in Alpha?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 61°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Sherburn 3wsw, MN).
When is the first and last frost in Alpha?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 28 and the first fall frost by October 8, about 162 frost-free days, at Sherburn 3wsw, MN.
What growing zone is Alpha in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −18°.
What is the best time of year to visit Alpha?
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 Alpha getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 68% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Alpha.
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.