Keewatin has some of the coldest winter nights among U.S. towns
Midsummer highs settle at about 78°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 79°. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 96% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about June 5; in half of years the first frost comes by September 8.
A year in Keewatin at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Keewatin’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Keewatin’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Keewatin feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 93 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 5 and the first by September 8. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Hibbing Chisholm Hibbing Airport, 11 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Keewatin’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°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 60 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Grand Rpds Forest Lab, 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 132 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Keewatin
99% 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 Hibbing Chisholm Hibbing Airport.
Living with Keewatin’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
93 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by Jun 5 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 8.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 1.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 51% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Keewatin from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Keewatin and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Keewatin in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Keewatin’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keewatin, MN | −2° | 78° | 27" | 60" |
| Kingsford, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
| Antigo, WI | 5° | 79° | 32" | 54" |
| Grand Forks, ND | −2° | 81° | 22" | 49" |
| Watertown, SD | 2° | 81° | 25" | 41" |
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 Keewatin averaged 2.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.4°).
A bigger shift than in 97% 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 Keewatin compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Keewatin’s place among Minnesota’s.
Keewatin weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Keewatin’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Grand Rpds Forest Lab, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 18° | −2° | 0.7" | 12.2" | 11 | 31 | −5° – 23° |
| February | 24° | 2° | 0.7" | 9.7" | 9 | 28 | 3° – 29° |
| March | 37° | 15° | 1.1" | 7.5" | 8 | 24 | 17° – 38° |
| April | 51° | 28° | 1.9" | 5.6" | 10 | 6 | 31° – 47° |
| May | 65° | 40° | 3.0" | 0.2" | 13 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| June | 74° | 50° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| July | 78° | 55° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 59° – 71° |
| August | 76° | 53° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 59° – 69° |
| September | 67° | 45° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 48° – 61° |
| October | 52° | 34° | 2.6" | 2.0" | 11 | 1 | 35° – 47° |
| November | 35° | 20° | 1.4" | 9.0" | 11 | 13 | 17° – 38° |
| December | 22° | 6° | 1.0" | 13.4" | 12 | 26 | 0° – 23° |
| Year | 50° | 29° | 27.4" | 59.6" | 132 | 129 |
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 Keewatin’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 Keewatin’s center.
- Snow: Grand Rpds Forest Lab, MN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hibbing Chisholm Hibbing Airport, 11 miles from the town’s center, 140 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 Keewatin’s climate
What is the weather like in Keewatin?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to −2°, and about 60 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 33 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Keewatin in winter?
January nights average −2°. About 205 nights a year reach 32° or below and 52 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −5°.
How much snow does Keewatin get?
About 60 inches in a normal winter at Grand Rpds Forest Lab, MN, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 129 days a year.
How hot does it get in Keewatin?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 55°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Hibbing Chisholm Hibbing Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Keewatin?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 5 and the first fall frost by September 8, about 93 frost-free days, at Hibbing Chisholm Hibbing Airport.
What growing zone is Keewatin 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 Keewatin?
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 Keewatin getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 97% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Keewatin.
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.