Photo: ShakataGaNai · CC BY-SA 3.0Ely sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 78° on average. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 96% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with December up the most. Tender plants can go out after about May 14; in half of years the first frost comes by September 29.
A year in Ely at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ely’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ely’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Ely feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 135 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 14 and the first by September 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ely, MN, 1.1 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ely’s center in zone 3b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −33°. 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 65 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Ely, 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 February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 139 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Ely
98% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October 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 Ely, MN.
Living with Ely’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
135 frost-free days in zone 3b. 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 29.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 4.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 75% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ely from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ely and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Ely yet.
Climates most like Ely’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ely, MN | −5° | 78° | 29" | 65" |
| Rhinelander, WI | 3° | 78° | 33" | 82" |
| Grand Forks, ND | −2° | 81° | 22" | 49" |
| Kingsford, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
| Watertown, SD | 2° | 81° | 25" | 41" |
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 Ely averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.8°).
A bigger shift than in 83% 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 Ely compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ely’s place among Minnesota’s.
Ely weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ely’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ely, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 16° | −5° | 1.0" | 13.8" | 11 | −8° – 21° |
| February | 23° | −2° | 1.0" | 9.3" | 9 | −2° – 28° |
| March | 36° | 11° | 1.1" | 8.4" | 9 | 12° – 37° |
| April | 50° | 25° | 2.0" | 7.7" | 10 | 29° – 46° |
| May | 64° | 38° | 3.0" | 0.3" | 14 | 46° – 58° |
| June | 73° | 49° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 15 | 57° – 67° |
| July | 78° | 53° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 58° – 70° |
| August | 76° | 51° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 58° – 68° |
| September | 66° | 44° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 48° – 61° |
| October | 51° | 32° | 2.8" | 2.1" | 14 | 35° – 46° |
| November | 34° | 19° | 1.8" | 9.8" | 10 | 16° – 37° |
| December | 21° | 4° | 1.4" | 13.2" | 11 | −2° – 23° |
| Year | 49° | 27° | 28.6" | 64.6" | 139 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -2° to 28°. August is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Ely’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 Ely’s center.
- Snow: Ely, MN (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ely, MN, 1.1 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 Ely’s climate
What is the weather like in Ely?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to −5°, and about 65 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 12 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ely in winter?
January nights average −5°. About 189 nights a year reach 32° or below and 48 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −8°.
How much snow does Ely get?
About 65 inches in a normal winter at Ely, MN, most of it in January and December.
How hot does it get in Ely?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 53°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Ely, MN).
When is the first and last frost in Ely?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 14 and the first fall frost by September 29, about 135 frost-free days, at Ely, MN.
What growing zone is Ely in?
Zone 3b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −33°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ely?
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 Ely getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 83% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ely.
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.