Photo: Jon Platek · CC BY-SA 3.0Cokato has some of the coldest winter nights among U.S. towns
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 82° on average. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 86% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.5° rise. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from October to April, which average under 50°.
A year in Cokato at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Cokato’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Cokato’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Cokato 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 30 and the first by October 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Dassel 3se, MN, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Cokato’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −22°. 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 41 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Dassel 3se, MN, falls mostly in February. 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 88 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Cokato
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 Dassel 3se, MN.
Living with Cokato’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
162 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by Apr 30 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 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Cokato from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (54%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Cokato and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Cokato in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Cokato’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cokato, MN | 5° | 82° | 29" | 41" |
| Madison, SD | 6° | 83° | 27" | 37" |
| Sheldon, IA | 7° | 84° | 30" | 41" |
| Wisconsin Rapids, WI | 7° | 82° | 34" | 48" |
| Fargo, ND | 0° | 82° | 24" | 51" |
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 Cokato averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.5°).
A bigger shift than in 60% 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 Cokato compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Cokato’s place among Minnesota’s.
Cokato weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Cokato’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Dassel 3se, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22° | 5° | 0.7" | 5.6" | 5 | 27 | 1° – 26° |
| February | 27° | 8° | 0.8" | 11.4" | 5 | 22 | 7° – 30° |
| March | 40° | 22° | 1.5" | 6.0" | 6 | 18 | 21° – 46° |
| April | 55° | 34° | 2.6" | 5.1" | 8 | 3 | 34° – 52° |
| May | 68° | 46° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| June | 78° | 57° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| July | 82° | 61° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 64° – 77° |
| August | 79° | 58° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| September | 72° | 50° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| October | 57° | 37° | 2.4" | 0.7" | 9 | 1 | 40° – 53° |
| November | 40° | 24° | 1.4" | 2.9" | 5 | 3 | 23° – 43° |
| December | 27° | 11° | 0.9" | 9.4" | 6 | 17 | 6° – 27° |
| Year | 54° | 34° | 29.2" | 41.1" | 88 | 89 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 1° to 26°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Cokato’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 Cokato’s center.
- Snow: Dassel 3se, MN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Dassel 3se, 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 Cokato’s climate
What is the weather like in Cokato?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 5°, and about 41 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 170 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 83% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Cokato in winter?
January nights average 5°. About 158 nights a year reach 32° or below and 35 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 1°.
How much snow does Cokato get?
About 41 inches in a normal winter at Dassel 3se, MN, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 89 days a year.
How hot does it get in Cokato?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 61°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Dassel 3se, MN).
When is the first and last frost in Cokato?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 10, about 162 frost-free days, at Dassel 3se, MN.
What growing zone is Cokato in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −22°.
What is the best time of year to visit Cokato?
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 Cokato getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Cokato.
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.