Dawson Carnegie Library · Photo: McGhiever · CC BY-SA 3.0Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Dawson
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 83° on average. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 87% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with January up the most. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about May 3, with the first autumn frost due around October 2.
A year in Dawson at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Dawson’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Dawson’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Dawson feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 151 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 3 and the first by October 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Madison Wwtp, MN, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Dawson’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −21°. 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 51 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Dawson, MN, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 27 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 80 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Dawson
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 Madison Wwtp, MN.
Living with Dawson’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
151 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 3 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 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Dawson from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (49%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 34%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Dawson and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Dawson yet.
Climates most like Dawson’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dawson, MN | 4° | 83° | 27" | 51" |
| Hudson, WI | 6° | 82° | 33" | 50" |
| Cherokee, IA | 8° | 84° | 31" | 38" |
| Jamestown, ND | 1° | 82° | 21" | 46" |
| Kingsford, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Dawson averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.0°).
A smaller shift than in 61% 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 Dawson compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Dawson’s place among Minnesota’s.
Dawson weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Dawson’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Dawson, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 23° | 4° | 0.6" | 8.7" | 5 | 0° – 26° |
| February | 28° | 8° | 0.7" | 9.5" | 5 | 5° – 30° |
| March | 40° | 21° | 1.3" | 8.1" | 6 | 20° – 44° |
| April | 56° | 33° | 2.5" | 6.8" | 7 | 34° – 53° |
| May | 70° | 46° | 3.3" | 0.1" | 9 | 53° – 65° |
| June | 79° | 57° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 63° – 72° |
| July | 83° | 61° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 64° – 78° |
| August | 81° | 58° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 64° – 73° |
| September | 74° | 50° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 55° – 67° |
| October | 59° | 37° | 2.4" | 0.6" | 7 | 40° – 53° |
| November | 42° | 23° | 1.1" | 5.5" | 4 | 21° – 44° |
| December | 28° | 11° | 0.8" | 12.1" | 5 | 5° – 27° |
| Year | 55° | 34° | 26.7" | 51.4" | 80 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 0° to 26°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Dawson’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 Dawson’s center.
- Snow: Dawson, MN (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Madison Wwtp, 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 Dawson’s climate
What is the weather like in Dawson?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 4°, and about 51 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 167 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 69% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Dawson in winter?
January nights average 4°. About 168 nights a year reach 32° or below and 36 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 0°.
How much snow does Dawson get?
About 51 inches in a normal winter at Dawson, MN, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Dawson?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 61°. About 16 days a year reach 90° (Madison Wwtp, MN).
When is the first and last frost in Dawson?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 3 and the first fall frost by October 2, about 151 frost-free days, at Madison Wwtp, MN.
What growing zone is Dawson in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −21°.
What is the best time of year to visit Dawson?
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 Dawson getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 61% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Dawson.
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.