Hardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than Gorman Township
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 79° on average. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in 94% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with January up the most. Garden planting can start around May 4; autumn frost returns near October 3.
A year in Gorman Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Gorman Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Gorman Township’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Gorman Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 150 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 4 and the first by October 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Detroit Lakes 12e, MN, 12 miles from the town’s center, 170 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Gorman 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 46 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at New York Mills, MN, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 27 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 97 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Gorman Township
97% 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 Detroit Lakes 12e, MN.
Living with Gorman Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
150 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 4 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 3.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 2.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Gorman Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (64%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 15%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Gorman Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Gorman Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Gorman 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gorman Township, MN | −1° | 79° | 27" | 46" |
| Rice Lake, WI | 3° | 80° | 33" | 53" |
| Kingsford, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
| Brookings, SD | 5° | 82° | 27" | 36" |
| Minot, ND | 2° | 82° | 17" | 52" |
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 Gorman Township averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.0°).
A bigger shift than in 54% 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 Gorman Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Gorman Township’s place among Minnesota’s.
Gorman Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Gorman Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from New York Mills, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 18° | −1° | 0.7" | 9.6" | 5 | 30 | −5° – 23° |
| February | 23° | 2° | 0.7" | 8.0" | 5 | 27 | 1° – 28° |
| March | 36° | 17° | 1.1" | 7.8" | 6 | 25 | 16° – 41° |
| April | 52° | 31° | 1.9" | 3.3" | 7 | 7 | 32° – 50° |
| May | 66° | 43° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 48° – 61° |
| June | 75° | 54° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| July | 79° | 58° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 61° – 74° |
| August | 78° | 55° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| September | 69° | 47° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| October | 54° | 35° | 2.6" | 1.2" | 9 | 1 | 36° – 50° |
| November | 37° | 21° | 1.0" | 5.3" | 5 | 9 | 18° – 40° |
| December | 23° | 7° | 0.8" | 10.4" | 7 | 25 | 0° – 24° |
| Year | 51° | 31° | 26.5" | 45.6" | 97 | 124 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -5° to 23°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Gorman 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 Gorman Township’s center.
- Snow: New York Mills, MN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Detroit Lakes 12e, MN, 12 miles from the town’s center, 170 ft higher; 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 Gorman Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Gorman Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to −1°, and about 46 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 36 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Gorman Township in winter?
January nights average −1°. About 178 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 −5°.
How much snow does Gorman Township get?
About 46 inches in a normal winter at New York Mills, MN, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 124 days a year.
How hot does it get in Gorman Township?
July, with a typical high of 79°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Detroit Lakes 12e, MN.
When is the first and last frost in Gorman Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 4 and the first fall frost by October 3, about 150 frost-free days, at Detroit Lakes 12e, MN.
What growing zone is Gorman 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 Gorman 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 Gorman Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 54% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Gorman 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.