Hardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than Fountain
Midsummer highs settle at about 81°. June is the wettest month here, with about 5.5 times the rain of January. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 90% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around May 14; autumn frost returns near September 28.
A year in Fountain at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Fountain’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Fountain’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Fountain 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, 6 miles from the town’s center, 370 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Fountain’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 42 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Preston, MN, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 37 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 119 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Fountain
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 Fountain’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
136 frost-free days in zone 5a. 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. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Fountain from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (64%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 16%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Fountain and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Fountain yet.
Climates most like Fountain’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fountain, MN | 7° | 81° | 37" | 42" |
| 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 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 Fountain averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.8°).
A smaller shift than in 78% 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 Fountain compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Fountain’s place among Minnesota’s.
Fountain weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Fountain’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Preston, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 23° | 7° | 1.1" | 11.0" | 8 | 25 | 5° – 28° |
| February | 28° | 11° | 1.1" | 8.2" | 7 | 24 | 6° – 31° |
| March | 41° | 22° | 2.0" | 7.5" | 9 | 14 | 23° – 48° |
| April | 56° | 34° | 3.9" | 2.5" | 11 | 1 | 34° – 52° |
| May | 68° | 46° | 4.6" | 0.3" | 14 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| June | 77° | 56° | 5.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| July | 81° | 60° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 64° – 76° |
| August | 79° | 57° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 74° |
| September | 72° | 50° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| October | 58° | 37° | 2.7" | 0.3" | 10 | 0 | 41° – 54° |
| November | 42° | 25° | 1.9" | 2.6" | 7 | 4 | 25° – 46° |
| December | 28° | 14° | 1.3" | 9.8" | 9 | 19 | 7° – 31° |
| Year | 54° | 35° | 36.7" | 42.2" | 119 | 88 |
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 Fountain’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 Fountain’s center.
- Snow: Preston, MN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Preston, MN, 6 miles from the town’s center, 370 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 Fountain’s climate
What is the weather like in Fountain?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 7°, and about 42 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 97% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 90% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Fountain in winter?
January nights average 7°. 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 5°.
How much snow does Fountain get?
About 42 inches in a normal winter at Preston, MN, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 88 days a year.
How hot does it get in Fountain?
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 Fountain?
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 Fountain 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 Fountain?
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 Fountain getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 78% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Fountain.
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.