Crystal Bay Township gets about 94 inches of snow a winter, more than 97% of U.S. towns
Expect July afternoons of about 75°. Temperatures cover 77° across the year, low to high. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in 98% of U.S. towns. The heating season runs October to May: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Crystal Bay Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Crystal Bay Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Crystal Bay Township’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Crystal Bay Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 137 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 15 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Wolf Ridge Elc, MN, 12 miles from the town’s center, 270 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Crystal Bay Township’s center in zone 3b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −30°. 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 94 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Wolf Ridge Elc, MN, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 31 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 129 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Crystal Bay Township
98% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from September 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 Wolf Ridge Elc, MN.
Living with Crystal Bay Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
137 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 Oct 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 146 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Crystal Bay Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (55%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 29%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Crystal Bay Township and its neighbors
Stony River Township has the coldest January nights next door (-4°, 3° colder) and Fall Lake Township the hottest July afternoons (77°, 2° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Crystal Bay Township’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crystal Bay Township, MN | −2° | 75° | 31" | 94" |
| Rhinelander, WI | 3° | 78° | 33" | 82" |
| Presque Isle, ME | 2° | 77° | 41" | 98" |
| Sault Ste. Marie, MI | 8° | 76° | 37" | 120" |
| Tupper Lake, NY | 5° | 78° | 43" | 105" |
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 Crystal Bay Township averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.4°).
A bigger shift than in 67% 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 Crystal Bay Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Crystal Bay Township’s place among Minnesota’s.
Crystal Bay Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Crystal Bay Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Wolf Ridge Elc, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 17° | −2° | 1.2" | 24.0" | 10 | 31 | −5° – 20° |
| February | 23° | 1° | 1.1" | 15.5" | 8 | 29 | −1° – 27° |
| March | 35° | 12° | 1.4" | 12.1" | 9 | 29 | 14° – 36° |
| April | 47° | 25° | 2.5" | 8.5" | 9 | 16 | 29° – 43° |
| May | 61° | 37° | 3.2" | 0.4" | 12 | 1 | 44° – 55° |
| June | 70° | 47° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 54° – 64° |
| July | 75° | 52° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 57° – 69° |
| August | 74° | 51° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| September | 64° | 44° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 47° – 59° |
| October | 50° | 32° | 3.1" | 1.5" | 11 | 1 | 35° – 45° |
| November | 34° | 19° | 2.0" | 10.0" | 10 | 14 | 16° – 37° |
| December | 22° | 6° | 1.7" | 22.2" | 10 | 30 | 1° – 23° |
| Year | 48° | 27° | 31.0" | 94.2" | 129 | 149 |
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 27°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Crystal Bay 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 Crystal Bay Township’s center.
- Snow: Wolf Ridge Elc, MN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Wolf Ridge Elc, MN, 12 miles from the town’s center, 270 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 Crystal Bay Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Crystal Bay Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 75°, a January night drops to −2°, and about 94 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 33 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Crystal Bay Township in winter?
January nights average −2°. About 187 nights a year reach 32° or below and 42 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −5°.
How much snow does Crystal Bay Township get?
About 94 inches in a normal winter at Wolf Ridge Elc, MN, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 149 days a year.
How hot does it get in Crystal Bay Township?
July, with a typical high of 75° and a low of 52°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Wolf Ridge Elc, MN).
When is the first and last frost in Crystal Bay Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 15 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 137 frost-free days, at Wolf Ridge Elc, MN.
What growing zone is Crystal Bay Township in?
Zone 3b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −30°.
What is the best time of year to visit Crystal Bay 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 Crystal Bay Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 67% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Crystal Bay 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.