Lake Henry has some of the coldest winter nights among U.S. towns
Expect July afternoons of about 81°. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in 88% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with January up the most. Long walks are most pleasant from May to September, when afternoons reach 67–81°.
A year in Lake Henry at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lake Henry’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lake Henry’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Lake Henry feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 152 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 4 and the first by October 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at New London, MN, 13 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lake Henry’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −24°. 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 50 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at New London, MN, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 29 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 86 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Lake Henry
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 New London, MN.
Living with Lake Henry’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
152 frost-free days in zone 4b. 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 4.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lake Henry from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (66%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lake Henry and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Lake Henry yet.
Climates most like Lake Henry’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Henry, MN | 3° | 81° | 29" | 50" |
| Kingsford, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
| Chippewa Falls, WI | 5° | 81° | 33" | 55" |
| Madison, SD | 6° | 83° | 27" | 37" |
| Spencer, IA | 7° | 84° | 31" | 43" |
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 Lake Henry averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.7°).
A bigger shift than in 77% 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 Henry compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lake Henry’s place among Minnesota’s.
Lake Henry weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lake Henry’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from New London, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 20° | 3° | 0.7" | 10.3" | 5 | 26 | −2° – 24° |
| February | 25° | 6° | 0.8" | 9.1" | 5 | 25 | 4° – 29° |
| March | 38° | 20° | 1.5" | 8.4" | 6 | 16 | 19° – 44° |
| April | 54° | 33° | 2.6" | 4.7" | 7 | 2 | 33° – 52° |
| May | 67° | 45° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| June | 77° | 56° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| July | 81° | 60° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 64° – 76° |
| August | 79° | 58° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| September | 71° | 49° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 53° – 66° |
| October | 56° | 36° | 2.6" | 0.8" | 7 | 0 | 38° – 51° |
| November | 39° | 23° | 1.3" | 9.0" | 5 | 7 | 22° – 42° |
| December | 25° | 10° | 0.9" | 7.9" | 5 | 20 | 3° – 25° |
| Year | 53° | 33° | 29.4" | 50.2" | 86 | 96 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -2° to 24°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Lake Henry’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 Henry’s center.
- Snow: New London, MN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: New London, MN, 13 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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 Henry’s climate
What is the weather like in Lake Henry?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 3°, and about 50 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 88 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 88% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lake Henry in winter?
January nights average 3°. About 165 nights a year reach 32° or below and 33 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −2°.
How much snow does Lake Henry get?
About 50 inches in a normal winter at New London, MN, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 96 days a year.
How hot does it get in Lake Henry?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 60°. About 10 days a year reach 90° (New London, MN).
When is the first and last frost in Lake Henry?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 4 and the first fall frost by October 4, about 152 frost-free days, at New London, MN.
What growing zone is Lake Henry in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −24°.
What is the best time of year to visit Lake Henry?
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 Henry getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 77% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Lake Henry.
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.