Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Edwards Township
High summer brings afternoon highs near 82°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 86% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with December up the most. Garden planting can start around April 30; autumn frost returns near October 7.
A year in Edwards Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Edwards Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Edwards Township’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Edwards Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 159 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 7. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Willmar Wwtp, MN, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Edwards Township’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −22°. 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 46 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Willmar Wwtp, MN, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 29 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 98 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Edwards Township
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 Willmar Wwtp, MN.
Living with Edwards Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
159 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by Apr 30 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 7.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Edwards Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (37%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 24%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Edwards Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Edwards Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Edwards 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edwards Township, MN | 4° | 82° | 29" | 46" |
| Menomonie, WI | 5° | 82° | 34" | 41" |
| West Fargo, ND | 0° | 82° | 24" | 51" |
| Cherokee, IA | 8° | 84° | 31" | 38" |
| Kingsford, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
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 Edwards Township averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.4°).
A smaller shift than in 52% 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 Edwards Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Edwards Township’s place among Minnesota’s.
Edwards Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Edwards Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Willmar Wwtp, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21° | 4° | 0.7" | 9.2" | 6 | 0° – 25° |
| February | 27° | 8° | 0.8" | 7.8" | 5 | 6° – 29° |
| March | 39° | 21° | 1.5" | 6.9" | 7 | 20° – 44° |
| April | 55° | 33° | 2.6" | 3.8" | 8 | 34° – 53° |
| May | 69° | 46° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 52° – 64° |
| June | 79° | 57° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 63° – 72° |
| July | 82° | 61° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 64° – 77° |
| August | 80° | 58° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 63° – 73° |
| September | 73° | 49° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 54° – 67° |
| October | 58° | 37° | 2.4" | 0.5" | 9 | 40° – 52° |
| November | 41° | 23° | 1.3" | 7.8" | 6 | 22° – 43° |
| December | 27° | 11° | 0.9" | 10.1" | 7 | 4° – 26° |
| Year | 54° | 34° | 29.2" | 46.1" | 98 |
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 25°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Edwards 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 Edwards Township’s center.
- Snow: Willmar Wwtp, MN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Willmar Wwtp, MN, 9 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 Edwards Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Edwards Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 4°, and about 46 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 160 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 78% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Edwards Township in winter?
January nights average 4°. About 166 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 Edwards Township get?
About 46 inches in a normal winter at Willmar Wwtp, MN, most of it in January and December.
How hot does it get in Edwards Township?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 61°. About 8 days a year reach 90° (Willmar Wwtp, MN).
When is the first and last frost in Edwards Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 7, about 159 frost-free days, at Willmar Wwtp, MN.
What growing zone is Edwards Township in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −22°.
What is the best time of year to visit Edwards 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 Edwards Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Edwards 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.