Photo: Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0Crane Lake Township sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 79°. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in 95% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.9° higher. Garden planting can start around June 2; autumn frost returns near September 15.
A year in Crane Lake Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Crane Lake Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Crane Lake Township’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Crane Lake Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 102 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 2 and the first by September 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Orr 3e, MN, 23 miles from the town’s center, 130 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Crane Lake Township’s center in zone 3b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −34°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 28 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 Crane Lake 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 Orr 3e, MN.
Living with Crane Lake Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
102 frost-free days in zone 3b. The last frost comes by Jun 2 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 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 40 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Crane Lake Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (49%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 45%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Crane Lake Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Crane Lake 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 Crane Lake Township averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.0°).
A bigger shift than in 85% 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 Crane Lake Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Crane Lake Township’s place among Minnesota’s.
Crane Lake Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Crane Lake Township’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 16° | −5° | 1.0" | −8° – 20° |
| February | 23° | −2° | 0.8" | −2° – 29° |
| March | 37° | 12° | 1.1" | 13° – 39° |
| April | 52° | 26° | 1.9" | 31° – 47° |
| May | 65° | 39° | 3.0" | 47° – 58° |
| June | 74° | 50° | 3.9" | 58° – 68° |
| July | 79° | 55° | 3.8" | 60° – 71° |
| August | 77° | 53° | 3.2" | 58° – 68° |
| September | 67° | 45° | 3.5" | 49° – 61° |
| October | 52° | 33° | 2.5" | 35° – 47° |
| November | 35° | 20° | 1.6" | 15° – 38° |
| December | 22° | 4° | 1.2" | −2° – 23° |
| Year | 50° | 28° | 27.5" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -2° to 29°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Crane Lake 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 Crane Lake Township’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Orr 3e, MN, 23 miles from the town’s center, 130 ft higher; 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 Crane Lake Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Crane Lake Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to −5°. Colder January nights than all but 13 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Crane Lake Township in winter?
January nights average −5°. About 215 nights a year reach 32° or below and 64 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −8°.
How hot does it get in Crane Lake Township?
July, with a typical high of 79°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Orr 3e, MN.
When is the first and last frost in Crane Lake Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 2 and the first fall frost by September 15, about 102 frost-free days, at Orr 3e, MN.
What growing zone is Crane Lake Township in?
Zone 3b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −34°.
What is the best time of year to visit Crane Lake 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 Crane Lake Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 85% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Crane Lake 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.