Hardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than Kinney
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 78°. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 96% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 2.3°, most of all in December. Homes need heating from October to April, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Kinney at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Kinney’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Kinney’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Kinney feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 141 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 12 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Eveleth Wwtp, MN, 10 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Kinney’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 28 inches of rain a year
June is the wettest month and February the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Kinney
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 Eveleth Wwtp, MN.
Living with Kinney’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
141 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 12 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 70% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Kinney from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Kinney and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Kinney yet.
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 Kinney averaged 2.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+4.3°).
A bigger shift than in 98% 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 Kinney compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Kinney’s place among Minnesota’s.
Kinney weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Kinney’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 17° | −3° | 0.8" | −6° – 21° |
| February | 23° | 1° | 0.7" | 1° – 28° |
| March | 37° | 14° | 1.1" | 15° – 38° |
| April | 51° | 27° | 1.8" | 30° – 47° |
| May | 65° | 39° | 3.0" | 46° – 57° |
| June | 73° | 49° | 4.3" | 57° – 67° |
| July | 78° | 54° | 3.9" | 59° – 70° |
| August | 76° | 52° | 3.4" | 58° – 68° |
| September | 66° | 44° | 3.5" | 48° – 61° |
| October | 52° | 33° | 2.6" | 34° – 47° |
| November | 35° | 19° | 1.4" | 16° – 37° |
| December | 22° | 5° | 1.0" | 0° – 23° |
| Year | 49° | 28° | 27.5" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 1° to 28°. August is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Kinney’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 Kinney’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Eveleth Wwtp, MN, 10 miles from the town’s center, 120 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 Kinney’s climate
What is the weather like in Kinney?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to −3°. Colder January nights than all but 19 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Kinney in winter?
January nights average −3°. About 189 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 −6°.
How hot does it get in Kinney?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 54°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Eveleth Wwtp, MN).
When is the first and last frost in Kinney?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 12 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 141 frost-free days, at Eveleth Wwtp, MN.
What growing zone is Kinney 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 Kinney?
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 Kinney getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 98% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Kinney.
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.