Photo: Myotus · CC BY-SA 4.0Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Chisholm
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 78°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 80°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 96% of U.S. towns. For walks and days out, the stretch from June to September brings highs of 67–78°.
A year in Chisholm at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Chisholm’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Chisholm’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Chisholm 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, 7 miles from the town’s center, 160 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Chisholm’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −29°. 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 Chisholm
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 Chisholm’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
93 frost-free days in zone 4a. 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. 9.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 71% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Chisholm from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Chisholm and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Chisholm 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 Chisholm averaged 2.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+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 Chisholm compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Chisholm’s place among Minnesota’s.
Chisholm weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Chisholm’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 17° | −2° | 0.7" | −5° – 22° |
| February | 24° | 1° | 0.7" | 2° – 28° |
| March | 37° | 14° | 1.0" | 16° – 39° |
| 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° | 20° | 1.4" | 17° – 37° |
| December | 22° | 6° | 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 Chisholm’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 Chisholm’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hibbing Chisholm Hibbing Airport, 7 miles from the town’s center, 160 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 Chisholm’s climate
What is the weather like in Chisholm?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to −2°. Colder January nights than all but 26 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Chisholm 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 Chisholm?
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 Chisholm?
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 Chisholm in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −29°.
What is the best time of year to visit Chisholm?
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 Chisholm 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 Chisholm.
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.