Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Lake Bronson
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 80°. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 93% of U.S. towns. January has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 2.3° rise. Homes need heating from October to April, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Lake Bronson at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lake Bronson’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lake Bronson’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Lake Bronson feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 142 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 8 and the first by September 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Hallock, MN, 13 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lake Bronson’s center in zone 3b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −32°. 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 23 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 Lake Bronson
96% 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 Hallock, MN.
Living with Lake Bronson’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
142 frost-free days in zone 3b. The last frost comes by May 8 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. 0.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lake Bronson from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (48%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 18%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lake Bronson and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Lake Bronson in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
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 Lake Bronson averaged 2.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.5°).
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 Lake Bronson compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lake Bronson’s place among Minnesota’s.
Lake Bronson weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lake Bronson’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 13° | −4° | 0.7" | −9° – 21° |
| February | 19° | 0° | 0.6" | −1° – 26° |
| March | 33° | 15° | 0.8" | 12° – 37° |
| April | 52° | 30° | 1.2" | 30° – 49° |
| May | 66° | 41° | 3.2" | 47° – 61° |
| June | 75° | 52° | 4.0" | 59° – 69° |
| July | 80° | 56° | 3.6" | 60° – 73° |
| August | 78° | 54° | 2.6" | 59° – 70° |
| September | 69° | 45° | 2.6" | 51° – 64° |
| October | 52° | 33° | 1.8" | 34° – 48° |
| November | 34° | 19° | 1.0" | 13° – 40° |
| December | 19° | 4° | 0.9" | −3° – 23° |
| Year | 49° | 29° | 22.8" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -9° to 21°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Lake Bronson’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 Lake Bronson’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hallock, MN, 13 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 Lake Bronson’s climate
What is the weather like in Lake Bronson?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to −4°. Colder January nights than all but 13 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 93% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lake Bronson in winter?
January nights average −4°. About 186 nights a year reach 32° or below and 57 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −9°.
How hot does it get in Lake Bronson?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 56°. About 7 days a year reach 90° (Hallock, MN).
When is the first and last frost in Lake Bronson?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 8 and the first fall frost by September 30, about 142 frost-free days, at Hallock, MN.
What growing zone is Lake Bronson in?
Zone 3b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −32°.
What is the best time of year to visit Lake Bronson?
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 Lake Bronson getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.3° 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 Lake Bronson.
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.