Gnesen Township gets about 90 inches of snow a winter, more than 97% of U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to −1°, and about 90 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Gnesen Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Gnesen Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Gnesen Township’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Gnesen Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 129 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 21 and the first by September 27. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Island Lake 4e, MN, 2.0 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Gnesen Township’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −29°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 90 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Duluth, MN, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 30 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 133 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Gnesen Township
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 Island Lake 4e, MN.
Living with Gnesen Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
129 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 21 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 27.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 27 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Gnesen Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (54%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 39%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Gnesen Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Gnesen Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Gnesen 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gnesen Township, MN | −1° | 78° | 30" | 90" |
| Rhinelander, WI | 3° | 78° | 33" | 82" |
| Kingsford, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
| Presque Isle, ME | 2° | 77° | 41" | 98" |
| St. Johnsbury, VT | 5° | 79° | 41" | 87" |
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 Gnesen Township averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.7°).
A bigger 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 Gnesen Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Gnesen Township’s place among Minnesota’s.
Gnesen Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Gnesen Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Duluth, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 18° | −1° | 1.0" | 16.8" | 10 | 31 | −4° – 22° |
| February | 24° | 2° | 0.9" | 15.1" | 9 | 28 | 3° – 28° |
| March | 37° | 14° | 1.4" | 12.8" | 10 | 27 | 17° – 38° |
| April | 50° | 27° | 2.3" | 9.1" | 11 | 10 | 31° – 45° |
| May | 63° | 38° | 3.2" | 0.8" | 13 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| June | 72° | 48° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 56° – 63° |
| July | 78° | 53° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 59° – 71° |
| August | 75° | 52° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| September | 66° | 44° | 3.4" | 0.1" | 12 | 0 | 48° – 60° |
| October | 52° | 33° | 3.0" | 2.7" | 12 | 2 | 36° – 47° |
| November | 36° | 20° | 1.7" | 14.1" | 11 | 13 | 18° – 38° |
| December | 23° | 7° | 1.3" | 18.7" | 11 | 27 | 2° – 24° |
| Year | 49° | 28° | 30.2" | 90.2" | 133 | 137 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -4° to 22°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Gnesen 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 Gnesen Township’s center.
- Snow: Duluth, MN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Island Lake 4e, MN, 2.0 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 Gnesen Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Gnesen Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to −1°, and about 90 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 36 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Gnesen Township in winter?
January nights average −1°. About 190 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 −4°.
How much snow does Gnesen Township get?
About 90 inches in a normal winter at Duluth, MN, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 137 days a year.
How hot does it get in Gnesen Township?
July, with a typical high of 78°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Island Lake 4e, MN.
When is the first and last frost in Gnesen Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 21 and the first fall frost by September 27, about 129 frost-free days, at Island Lake 4e, MN.
What growing zone is Gnesen Township in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −29°.
What is the best time of year to visit Gnesen Township?
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 Gnesen Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 82% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Gnesen 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.