Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Goodhue
Expect July afternoons of about 81°. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 88% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.3°, most of all in December. Long walks are most pleasant from May to September, when afternoons reach 68–81°.
A year in Goodhue at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Goodhue’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Goodhue’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Goodhue 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 9 and the first by September 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Zumbrota, MN, 7 miles from the town’s center, 160 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Goodhue’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −22°. 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 44 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Zumbrota, MN, falls mostly in January, February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 35 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 99 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Goodhue
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 Zumbrota, MN.
Living with Goodhue’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
144 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 9 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 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Goodhue from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (49%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Goodhue and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Goodhue yet.
Climates most like Goodhue’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goodhue, MN | 6° | 81° | 35" | 44" |
| Plover, WI | 7° | 81° | 34" | 49" |
| Peru, NY | 9° | 80° | 35" | 50" |
| Colchester, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 50" |
| Fort Dodge, IA | 9° | 83° | 34" | 39" |
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 Goodhue averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.2°).
A smaller shift than in 58% 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 Goodhue compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Goodhue’s place among Minnesota’s.
Goodhue weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Goodhue’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Zumbrota, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22° | 6° | 1.0" | 10.5" | 6 | 4° – 28° |
| February | 28° | 10° | 1.0" | 9.5" | 5 | 5° – 30° |
| March | 40° | 22° | 1.9" | 6.2" | 7 | 23° – 48° |
| April | 55° | 34° | 3.2" | 3.3" | 10 | 34° – 52° |
| May | 68° | 46° | 4.3" | 0.5" | 11 | 52° – 65° |
| June | 77° | 57° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 63° – 72° |
| July | 81° | 61° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 64° – 76° |
| August | 79° | 58° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 63° – 73° |
| September | 72° | 51° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 54° – 67° |
| October | 58° | 37° | 2.6" | 0.6" | 9 | 42° – 53° |
| November | 41° | 25° | 1.7" | 3.0" | 6 | 23° – 45° |
| December | 28° | 13° | 1.3" | 9.9" | 6 | 7° – 31° |
| Year | 54° | 35° | 35.0" | 43.5" | 99 |
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 30°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Goodhue’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 Goodhue’s center.
- Snow: Zumbrota, MN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Zumbrota, MN, 7 miles from the town’s center, 160 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 Goodhue’s climate
What is the weather like in Goodhue?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 6°, and about 44 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 97% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 88% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Goodhue in winter?
January nights average 6°. About 163 nights a year reach 32° or below and 30 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 4°.
How much snow does Goodhue get?
About 44 inches in a normal winter at Zumbrota, MN, most of it in January, February and December.
How hot does it get in Goodhue?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 61°. About 7 days a year reach 90° (Zumbrota, MN).
When is the first and last frost in Goodhue?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 9 and the first fall frost by September 30, about 144 frost-free days, at Zumbrota, MN.
What growing zone is Goodhue in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −22°.
What is the best time of year to visit Goodhue?
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 Goodhue getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 58% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Goodhue.
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.