Hardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than Elmira Township
July afternoons average 81°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 89% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.2° higher. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from October to April, which average under 50°.
A year in Elmira Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Elmira Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Elmira Township’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Elmira Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 136 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 14 and the first by September 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Preston, MN, 15 miles from the town’s center, 280 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Elmira Township’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 53 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Rochester International Airport, falls mostly in January 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 124 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Elmira Township
95% 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 Preston, MN.
Living with Elmira Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
136 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 14 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 28.
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 Elmira Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (48%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 23%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Elmira Township and its neighbors
Chatfield Township the hottest July afternoons (82°, 1° 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 Elmira 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elmira Township, MN | 6° | 81° | 36" | 53" |
| Peru, NY | 9° | 80° | 35" | 50" |
| Shawano, WI | 8° | 81° | 33" | 48" |
| Colchester, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 50" |
| Hanover, NH | 9° | 82° | 39" | 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 Elmira Township averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.9°).
A smaller shift than in 63% 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 Elmira Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Elmira Township’s place among Minnesota’s.
Elmira Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Elmira Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Rochester International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 23° | 6° | 1.1" | 12.2" | 9 | 25 | 4° – 28° |
| February | 28° | 10° | 1.1" | 10.7" | 8 | 23 | 6° – 31° |
| March | 41° | 22° | 2.0" | 8.6" | 10 | 14 | 23° – 48° |
| April | 56° | 34° | 3.7" | 3.3" | 12 | 2 | 34° – 52° |
| May | 68° | 46° | 4.6" | 0.5" | 13 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| June | 77° | 56° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| July | 81° | 60° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 64° – 76° |
| August | 79° | 57° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| September | 72° | 50° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 53° – 66° |
| October | 58° | 37° | 2.6" | 0.9" | 10 | 0 | 41° – 54° |
| November | 42° | 25° | 1.9" | 4.5" | 9 | 5 | 24° – 45° |
| December | 29° | 14° | 1.3" | 12.4" | 10 | 20 | 7° – 31° |
| Year | 54° | 35° | 36.3" | 53.1" | 124 | 89 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 23° to 48°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Elmira 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 Elmira Township’s center.
- Snow: Rochester International Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Preston, MN, 15 miles from the town’s center, 280 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 Elmira Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Elmira Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 6°, and about 53 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 97% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 89% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Elmira Township in winter?
January nights average 6°. About 166 nights a year reach 32° or below and 27 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 4°.
How much snow does Elmira Township get?
About 53 inches in a normal winter at Rochester International Airport, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 89 days a year.
How hot does it get in Elmira Township?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 60°. About 8 days a year reach 90° (Preston, MN).
When is the first and last frost in Elmira Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 14 and the first fall frost by September 28, about 136 frost-free days, at Preston, MN.
What growing zone is Elmira Township 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 Elmira 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 Elmira Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 63% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Elmira 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.