Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Fenton Township
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 82°. Temperatures cover 76° across the year, low to high. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 86% of U.S. towns. Garden chairs stay out from May to September, the months with highs of 68–82°.
A year in Fenton Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Fenton Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Fenton Township’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Fenton Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 145 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 7 and the first by September 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Lake Wilson, MN, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Fenton Township’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −20°. 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 Lake Wilson, MN, falls mostly in February, March and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 30 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 74 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Fenton Township
94% 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 Lake Wilson, MN.
Living with Fenton Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
145 frost-free days in zone 5a. 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 Sep 29.
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 Fenton Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (41%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 23%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Fenton Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Fenton Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Fenton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fenton Township, MN | 6° | 82° | 30" | 46" |
| Waupaca, WI | 8° | 82° | 32" | 49" |
| Iron Mountain, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
| Plattsburgh, NY | 9° | 81° | 35" | 50" |
| Wahpeton, ND | 1° | 82° | 25" | 50" |
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 Fenton Township averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.7°).
A smaller shift than in 82% 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 Fenton Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Fenton Township’s place among Minnesota’s.
Fenton Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Fenton Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Lake Wilson, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22° | 6° | 0.7" | 7.8" | 4 | 3° – 27° |
| February | 27° | 10° | 0.8" | 10.0" | 5 | 5° – 31° |
| March | 40° | 22° | 1.5" | 9.2" | 5 | 21° – 46° |
| April | 55° | 33° | 2.9" | 5.1" | 7 | 32° – 52° |
| May | 68° | 45° | 4.1" | 0.3" | 9 | 51° – 63° |
| June | 78° | 56° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 62° – 71° |
| July | 82° | 60° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 63° – 77° |
| August | 79° | 57° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 63° – 73° |
| September | 72° | 49° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 54° – 65° |
| October | 58° | 36° | 2.3" | 0.8" | 6 | 40° – 53° |
| November | 41° | 23° | 1.2" | 4.0" | 4 | 22° – 44° |
| December | 28° | 12° | 0.8" | 9.1" | 4 | 5° – 27° |
| Year | 54° | 34° | 29.7" | 46.3" | 74 |
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 9°.
Where Fenton 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 Fenton Township’s center.
- Snow: Lake Wilson, MN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lake Wilson, MN, 8 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 Fenton Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Fenton Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 6°, and about 46 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 98% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 82% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Fenton Township in winter?
January nights average 6°. About 171 nights a year reach 32° or below and 32 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 3°.
How much snow does Fenton Township get?
About 46 inches in a normal winter at Lake Wilson, MN, most of it in February, March and December.
How hot does it get in Fenton Township?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 60°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Lake Wilson, MN).
When is the first and last frost in Fenton Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 7 and the first fall frost by September 29, about 145 frost-free days, at Lake Wilson, MN.
What growing zone is Fenton Township in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −20°.
What is the best time of year to visit Fenton 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 Fenton Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 82% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Fenton 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.