Photo: Myotus · CC BY-SA 4.0Federal Dam sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 79°. Expect the heaviest rain or snow in June and the lightest in February. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 94% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around May 8; autumn frost returns near October 1.
A year in Federal Dam at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Federal Dam’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Federal Dam’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Federal Dam feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 144 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 8 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Leech Lake, MN, 0.7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Federal Dam’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −30°. 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 48 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Leech Lake, MN, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 27 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 103 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Federal Dam
96% 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 Leech Lake, MN.
Living with Federal Dam’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
144 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 8 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 3.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Federal Dam from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (58%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 31%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Federal Dam and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Federal Dam in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Federal Dam’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Dam, MN | −2° | 79° | 27" | 48" |
| Watertown, SD | 2° | 81° | 25" | 41" |
| Rice Lake, WI | 3° | 80° | 33" | 53" |
| Kingsford, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
| Jamestown, ND | 1° | 82° | 21" | 46" |
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 Federal Dam averaged 2.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.3°).
A bigger shift than in 92% 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 Federal Dam compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Federal Dam’s place among Minnesota’s.
Federal Dam weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Federal Dam’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Leech Lake, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 18° | −2° | 0.7" | 9.3" | 6 | 31 | −5° – 24° |
| February | 24° | 2° | 0.7" | 7.2" | 5 | 28 | 1° – 29° |
| March | 38° | 16° | 1.2" | 6.8" | 6 | 24 | 17° – 39° |
| April | 52° | 29° | 1.9" | 5.9" | 7 | 8 | 32° – 48° |
| May | 66° | 42° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 48° – 60° |
| June | 75° | 52° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| July | 79° | 57° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 61° – 73° |
| August | 77° | 55° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 59° – 69° |
| September | 68° | 46° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| October | 53° | 35° | 2.6" | 1.1" | 10 | 1 | 36° – 49° |
| November | 36° | 21° | 1.2" | 6.8" | 7 | 12 | 18° – 40° |
| December | 23° | 7° | 0.9" | 11.1" | 6 | 26 | 1° – 25° |
| Year | 51° | 30° | 26.8" | 48.2" | 103 | 131 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -5° to 24°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Federal Dam’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 Federal Dam’s center.
- Snow: Leech Lake, MN (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Leech Lake, MN, 0.7 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 Federal Dam’s climate
What is the weather like in Federal Dam?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to −2°, and about 48 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 30 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Federal Dam in winter?
January nights average −2°. About 180 nights a year reach 32° or below and 47 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −5°.
How much snow does Federal Dam get?
About 48 inches in a normal winter at Leech Lake, MN, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 131 days a year.
How hot does it get in Federal Dam?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 57°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Leech Lake, MN).
When is the first and last frost in Federal Dam?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 8 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 144 frost-free days, at Leech Lake, MN.
What growing zone is Federal Dam in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −30°.
What is the best time of year to visit Federal Dam?
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 Federal Dam getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 92% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Federal Dam.
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.