Columbia Township has some of the coldest winter nights among U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 79°. Winter and summer sit 82° apart. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 95% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about May 15; in half of years the first frost comes by September 26.
A year in Columbia Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Columbia Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Columbia Township’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Columbia Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 132 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 15 and the first by September 26. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Fosston 1 E, MN, 5 miles from the town’s center, 100 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Columbia Township’s center in zone 3b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −33°. 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 25 inches of rain a year
June is the wettest month and January the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Columbia Township
97% 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 Fosston 1 E, MN.
Living with Columbia Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
132 frost-free days in zone 3b. The last frost comes by May 15 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 26.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 5.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Columbia Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (35%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 31%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Columbia Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Columbia 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 Columbia Township averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.3°).
A bigger shift than in 71% 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 Columbia Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Columbia Township’s place among Minnesota’s.
Columbia Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Columbia Township’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 16° | −3° | 0.6" | −7° – 23° |
| February | 22° | 0° | 0.7" | 0° – 29° |
| March | 35° | 15° | 0.9" | 13° – 38° |
| April | 51° | 29° | 1.5" | 31° – 49° |
| May | 65° | 41° | 2.9" | 47° – 59° |
| June | 74° | 52° | 4.5" | 58° – 69° |
| July | 79° | 56° | 3.5" | 60° – 73° |
| August | 77° | 54° | 3.3" | 58° – 69° |
| September | 68° | 46° | 2.8" | 50° – 62° |
| October | 52° | 34° | 2.4" | 36° – 49° |
| November | 35° | 19° | 1.0" | 16° – 39° |
| December | 22° | 6° | 0.8" | 0° – 22° |
| Year | 50° | 29° | 24.9" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -7° to 23°. June is the most reliable, staying within 11°.
Where Columbia 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 Columbia Township’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Fosston 1 E, MN, 5 miles from the town’s center, 100 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 Columbia Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Columbia Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to −3°. Colder January nights than all but 18 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Columbia Township in winter?
January nights average −3°. About 195 nights a year reach 32° or below and 55 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −7°.
How hot does it get in Columbia Township?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 56°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Fosston 1 E, MN).
When is the first and last frost in Columbia Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 15 and the first fall frost by September 26, about 132 frost-free days, at Fosston 1 E, MN.
What growing zone is Columbia Township in?
Zone 3b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −33°.
What is the best time of year to visit Columbia Township?
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 Columbia Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 71% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Columbia 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.