Photo: Lorie Shaull · CC BY 2.0Babbitt gets about 84 inches of snow a winter, more than 96% of U.S. towns
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 78°. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 96% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 2.0°, most of all in December. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from October to April, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Babbitt at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Babbitt’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Babbitt’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Babbitt feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 108 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 28 and the first by September 14. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Babbitt, MN, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Babbitt’s center in zone 3b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −34°. 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 84 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Babbitt, MN, falls mostly in January and December. 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 122 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Babbitt
98% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from September through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Babbitt, MN.
Living with Babbitt’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
108 frost-free days in zone 3b. The last frost comes by May 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 Sep 14.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 25 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 67% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Babbitt from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Babbitt and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Babbitt in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Babbitt’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Babbitt, MN | −5° | 78° | 29" | 84" |
| Rhinelander, WI | 3° | 78° | 33" | 82" |
| Kingsford, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
| Presque Isle, ME | 2° | 77° | 41" | 98" |
| Grand Forks, ND | −2° | 81° | 22" | 49" |
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 Babbitt averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.9°).
A bigger shift than in 88% 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 Babbitt compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Babbitt’s place among Minnesota’s.
Babbitt weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Babbitt’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Babbitt, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 16° | −5° | 1.0" | 17.4" | 9 | 31 | −7° – 20° |
| February | 23° | −1° | 1.0" | 13.5" | 8 | 28 | −1° – 28° |
| March | 36° | 11° | 1.1" | 10.1" | 8 | 27 | 13° – 37° |
| April | 50° | 25° | 2.1" | 11.8" | 9 | 11 | 29° – 45° |
| May | 64° | 38° | 3.1" | 0.5" | 13 | 0 | 45° – 57° |
| June | 73° | 48° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| July | 78° | 52° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 58° – 70° |
| August | 76° | 50° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| September | 66° | 43° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 47° – 60° |
| October | 51° | 32° | 2.8" | 3.3" | 11 | 2 | 34° – 46° |
| November | 34° | 18° | 1.7" | 10.3" | 9 | 12 | 15° – 36° |
| December | 21° | 4° | 1.3" | 17.0" | 10 | 29 | −1° – 22° |
| Year | 49° | 26° | 29.0" | 83.9" | 122 | 140 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -1° to 28°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Babbitt’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 Babbitt’s center.
- Snow: Babbitt, MN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Babbitt, 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 Babbitt’s climate
What is the weather like in Babbitt?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to −5°, and about 84 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 13 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Babbitt in winter?
January nights average −5°. About 203 nights a year reach 32° or below and 63 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −7°.
How much snow does Babbitt get?
About 84 inches in a normal winter at Babbitt, MN, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 140 days a year.
How hot does it get in Babbitt?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 52°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Babbitt, MN).
When is the first and last frost in Babbitt?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 28 and the first fall frost by September 14, about 108 frost-free days, at Babbitt, MN.
What growing zone is Babbitt in?
Zone 3b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −34°.
What is the best time of year to visit Babbitt?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Babbitt getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 88% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Babbitt.
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.