Golden Valley Township sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
July afternoons average 79°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 95% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 2.2°, most of all in January. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from October to April, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Golden Valley Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Golden Valley Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Golden Valley Township’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Golden Valley Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 118 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 20 and the first by September 17. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Goodridge 12 Nnw, MN, 21 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Golden Valley Township’s center in zone 3b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −34°. 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 Camp Norris Dnr, MN, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 24 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 100 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Golden Valley 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 Goodridge 12 Nnw, MN.
Living with Golden Valley Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
118 frost-free days in zone 3b. The last frost comes by May 20 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 17.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 6.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Golden Valley Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (58%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 12%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Golden Valley Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Golden Valley Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Golden Valley 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Valley Township, MN | −5° | 79° | 24" | 46" |
| Jamestown, ND | 1° | 82° | 21" | 46" |
| Watertown, SD | 2° | 81° | 25" | 41" |
| Kingsford, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
| Rice Lake, WI | 3° | 80° | 33" | 53" |
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 Golden Valley Township averaged 2.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.6°).
A bigger shift than in 94% 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 Golden Valley Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Golden Valley Township’s place among Minnesota’s.
Golden Valley Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Golden Valley Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Camp Norris Dnr, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 15° | −5° | 0.6" | 8.7" | 6 | 31 | −7° – 21° |
| February | 21° | −1° | 0.6" | 7.8" | 6 | 29 | −1° – 26° |
| March | 35° | 14° | 0.8" | 6.7" | 6 | 27 | 12° – 37° |
| April | 51° | 28° | 1.3" | 4.9" | 7 | 10 | 30° – 49° |
| May | 65° | 40° | 3.0" | 0.3" | 10 | 0 | 47° – 59° |
| June | 75° | 51° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| July | 79° | 55° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| August | 77° | 53° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| September | 68° | 45° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 50° – 63° |
| October | 52° | 33° | 2.0" | 2.8" | 10 | 2 | 33° – 48° |
| November | 34° | 18° | 1.0" | 4.2" | 6 | 14 | 16° – 38° |
| December | 20° | 4° | 0.9" | 10.5" | 8 | 30 | −3° – 22° |
| Year | 49° | 28° | 23.5" | 45.9" | 100 | 144 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -7° to 21°. July is the most reliable, staying within 11°.
Where Golden Valley 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 Golden Valley Township’s center.
- Snow: Camp Norris Dnr, MN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Goodridge 12 Nnw, MN, 21 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 Golden Valley Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Golden Valley Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to −5°, and about 46 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 13 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Golden Valley Township in winter?
January nights average −5°. About 194 nights a year reach 32° or below and 58 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −7°.
How much snow does Golden Valley Township get?
About 46 inches in a normal winter at Camp Norris Dnr, MN, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 144 days a year.
How hot does it get in Golden Valley Township?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 55°. About 1 days a year reach 90° (Goodridge 12 Nnw, MN).
When is the first and last frost in Golden Valley Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 20 and the first fall frost by September 17, about 118 frost-free days, at Goodridge 12 Nnw, MN.
What growing zone is Golden Valley Township in?
Zone 3b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −34°.
What is the best time of year to visit Golden Valley 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 Golden Valley Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 94% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Golden Valley 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.