Hardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than Cook
High summer brings afternoon highs near 78°. Only 83° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 96% of U.S. towns. Radiators earn their keep from October to April, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Cook at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Cook’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Cook’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Cook feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 138 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 12 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Cook 8ne, MN, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Cook’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 61 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Cook 8ne, MN, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 27 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 157 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Cook
98% 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 Cook 8ne, MN.
Living with Cook’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
138 frost-free days in zone 3b. The last frost comes by May 12 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 4.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 62% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Cook from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Cook and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Cook in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Cook’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cook, MN | −4° | 78° | 27" | 61" |
| Grand Forks, ND | −2° | 81° | 22" | 49" |
| Kingsford, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
| Rice Lake, WI | 3° | 80° | 33" | 53" |
| Watertown, SD | 2° | 81° | 25" | 41" |
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 Cook averaged 2.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+4.1°).
A bigger shift than in 94% 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 Cook compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Cook’s place among Minnesota’s.
Cook weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Cook’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Cook 8ne, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 17° | −4° | 0.9" | 12.7" | 13 | −6° – 20° |
| February | 24° | −1° | 0.8" | 8.5" | 9 | −1° – 28° |
| March | 37° | 13° | 1.0" | 6.0" | 10 | 14° – 38° |
| April | 52° | 26° | 1.8" | 4.7" | 11 | 30° – 47° |
| May | 66° | 39° | 2.9" | 0.3" | 15 | 47° – 58° |
| June | 74° | 49° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 17 | 57° – 68° |
| July | 78° | 54° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 14 | 59° – 71° |
| August | 77° | 52° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 14 | 58° – 68° |
| September | 67° | 44° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 14 | 48° – 61° |
| October | 52° | 33° | 2.6" | 3.6" | 16 | 35° – 47° |
| November | 35° | 19° | 1.6" | 10.3" | 12 | 16° – 38° |
| December | 22° | 4° | 1.1" | 15.1" | 13 | −1° – 23° |
| Year | 50° | 27° | 27.1" | 61.2" | 157 |
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 Cook’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 Cook’s center.
- Snow: Cook 8ne, MN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Cook 8ne, MN, 8 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 Cook’s climate
What is the weather like in Cook?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to −4°, and about 61 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 Cook in winter?
January nights average −4°. About 188 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 −6°.
How much snow does Cook get?
About 61 inches in a normal winter at Cook 8ne, MN, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Cook?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 54°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Cook 8ne, MN).
When is the first and last frost in Cook?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 12 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 138 frost-free days, at Cook 8ne, MN.
What growing zone is Cook 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 Cook?
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 Cook getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 94% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Cook.
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.