Altura has some of the coldest winter nights among U.S. towns
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 81°. Seasons differ by 74°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 86% of U.S. towns. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from October to April, which average under 50°.
A year in Altura at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Altura’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Altura’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Altura feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 175 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 23 and the first by October 16. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Minnesota City Dam 5, MN, 9 miles from the town’s center, 490 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Altura’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −20°. 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 45 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Altura 5w, MN, falls mostly in February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 37 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 116 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Altura
91% 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 Minnesota City Dam 5, MN.
Living with Altura’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
175 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by Apr 23 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 16.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Altura from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (68%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Altura and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Altura in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Altura’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Altura, MN | 7° | 81° | 37" | 45" |
| Beaver Dam, WI | 10° | 82° | 35" | 43" |
| Colchester, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 50" |
| Plattsburgh, NY | 9° | 81° | 35" | 50" |
| Hanover, NH | 9° | 82° | 39" | 61" |
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.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Altura averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.0°).
A bigger shift than in 52% 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 Altura compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Altura’s place among Minnesota’s.
Altura weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Altura’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Altura 5w, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24° | 7° | 1.1" | 8.6" | 8 | 26 | 4° – 29° |
| February | 29° | 11° | 1.1" | 11.0" | 7 | 27 | 6° – 32° |
| March | 41° | 23° | 2.0" | 8.2" | 8 | 17 | 24° – 49° |
| April | 56° | 35° | 3.8" | 2.9" | 11 | 2 | 35° – 53° |
| May | 68° | 46° | 4.7" | 0.6" | 14 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| June | 78° | 57° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| July | 81° | 61° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 65° – 77° |
| August | 79° | 58° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 74° |
| September | 72° | 51° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 54° – 67° |
| October | 58° | 38° | 2.6" | 0.4" | 10 | 0 | 42° – 54° |
| November | 42° | 26° | 1.8" | 2.2" | 7 | 3 | 25° – 46° |
| December | 29° | 14° | 1.3" | 11.0" | 8 | 20 | 7° – 32° |
| Year | 55° | 36° | 36.8" | 44.9" | 116 | 95 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 6° to 32°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Altura’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 Altura’s center.
- Snow: Altura 5w, MN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Minnesota City Dam 5, MN, 9 miles from the town’s center, 490 ft lower; 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 Altura’s climate
What is the weather like in Altura?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 7°, and about 45 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 86% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Altura in winter?
January nights average 7°. About 140 nights a year reach 32° or below and 20 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 4°.
How much snow does Altura get?
About 45 inches in a normal winter at Altura 5w, MN, most of it in February and December, with snow on the ground about 95 days a year.
How hot does it get in Altura?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 61°. About 14 days a year reach 90° (Minnesota City Dam 5, MN).
When is the first and last frost in Altura?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 23 and the first fall frost by October 16, about 175 frost-free days, at Minnesota City Dam 5, MN.
What growing zone is Altura in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −20°.
What is the best time of year to visit Altura?
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 Altura getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Altura.
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.