Elgin sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 81° on average. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 76°. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 86% of U.S. towns. The heating season runs October to April: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Elgin at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Elgin’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Elgin’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Elgin feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 148 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 7 and the first by October 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Theilman 1ssw, MN, 11 miles from the town’s center, 310 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Elgin’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 45 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Altura 5w, MN, falls mostly in February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 36 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 116 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Elgin
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 Theilman 1ssw, MN.
Living with Elgin’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
148 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 7 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.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Elgin from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (71%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Elgin and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Elgin yet.
Climates most like Elgin’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elgin, MN | 6° | 81° | 36" | 45" |
| Shawano, WI | 8° | 81° | 33" | 48" |
| Plattsburgh, NY | 9° | 81° | 35" | 50" |
| Colchester, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 50" |
| Spirit Lake, IA | 7° | 83° | 31" | 42" |
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 Elgin averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.2°).
A smaller shift than in 57% 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 Elgin compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Elgin’s place among Minnesota’s.
Elgin weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Elgin’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Altura 5w, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 23° | 6° | 1.0" | 8.6" | 8 | 26 | 4° – 28° |
| February | 28° | 10° | 1.0" | 11.0" | 7 | 27 | 5° – 31° |
| March | 41° | 22° | 2.0" | 8.2" | 8 | 17 | 24° – 48° |
| April | 56° | 34° | 3.5" | 2.9" | 11 | 2 | 34° – 52° |
| May | 68° | 46° | 4.5" | 0.6" | 14 | 0 | 51° – 64° |
| June | 78° | 56° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| July | 81° | 60° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 64° – 76° |
| August | 79° | 58° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| September | 72° | 50° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| October | 58° | 37° | 2.5" | 0.4" | 10 | 0 | 42° – 53° |
| November | 42° | 25° | 1.8" | 2.2" | 7 | 3 | 24° – 46° |
| December | 29° | 13° | 1.3" | 11.0" | 8 | 20 | 7° – 31° |
| Year | 55° | 35° | 35.5" | 44.9" | 116 | 95 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 5° to 31°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Elgin’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 Elgin’s center.
- Snow: Altura 5w, MN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Theilman 1ssw, MN, 11 miles from the town’s center, 310 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 Elgin’s climate
What is the weather like in Elgin?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 6°, and about 45 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 98% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 86% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Elgin in winter?
January nights average 6°. About 170 nights a year reach 32° or below and 33 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 4°.
How much snow does Elgin get?
About 45 inches in a normal winter at Altura 5w, MN, most of it in February and December, with snow on the ground about 95 days a year.
How hot does it get in Elgin?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 60°. About 12 days a year reach 90° (Theilman 1ssw, MN).
When is the first and last frost in Elgin?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 7 and the first fall frost by October 2, about 148 frost-free days, at Theilman 1ssw, MN.
What growing zone is Elgin 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 Elgin?
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 Elgin getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 57% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Elgin.
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.