Bruce Mine Headframe · Photo: McGhiever · CC BY-SA 3.0Hardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than Balkan Township
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 78°. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 80°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 96% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around June 5; autumn frost returns near September 8.
A year in Balkan Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Balkan Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Balkan Township’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Balkan Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 93 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 5 and the first by September 8. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Hibbing Chisholm Hibbing Airport, 11 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Balkan Township’s center in zone 3b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −30°. 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 27 inches of rain a year
June is the wettest month and February the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Balkan Township
99% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October 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 Hibbing Chisholm Hibbing Airport.
Living with Balkan Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
93 frost-free days in zone 3b. The last frost comes by Jun 5 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 8.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 31 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 59% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Balkan Township from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Balkan Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Balkan Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
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 Balkan Township averaged 2.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.2°).
A bigger shift than in 98% 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 Balkan Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Balkan Township’s place among Minnesota’s.
Balkan Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Balkan Township’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 17° | −2° | 0.8" | −5° – 22° |
| February | 24° | 1° | 0.7" | 2° – 28° |
| March | 37° | 14° | 1.0" | 16° – 38° |
| April | 51° | 27° | 1.8" | 31° – 47° |
| May | 65° | 39° | 3.0" | 47° – 58° |
| June | 74° | 50° | 4.4" | 57° – 67° |
| July | 78° | 54° | 3.8" | 59° – 71° |
| August | 76° | 52° | 3.4" | 58° – 68° |
| September | 67° | 44° | 3.4" | 48° – 61° |
| October | 52° | 33° | 2.6" | 35° – 47° |
| November | 35° | 19° | 1.4" | 17° – 37° |
| December | 22° | 5° | 1.0" | 0° – 23° |
| Year | 50° | 28° | 27.1" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -5° to 22°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Balkan 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 Balkan Township’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hibbing Chisholm Hibbing Airport, 11 miles from the town’s center, 140 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 Balkan Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Balkan Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to −2°. Colder January nights than all but 23 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Balkan Township in winter?
January nights average −2°. About 205 nights a year reach 32° or below and 52 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −5°.
How hot does it get in Balkan Township?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 54°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Hibbing Chisholm Hibbing Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Balkan Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 5 and the first fall frost by September 8, about 93 frost-free days, at Hibbing Chisholm Hibbing Airport.
What growing zone is Balkan Township in?
Zone 3b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −30°.
What is the best time of year to visit Balkan Township?
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 Balkan Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 98% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Balkan Township.
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.