Lake Stay Township has some of the coldest winter nights among U.S. towns
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 82°. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 86% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.0°, most of all in December. Comfortable outdoor weather lasts from May to September, with highs of 68–82°.
A year in Lake Stay Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lake Stay Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lake Stay Township’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Lake Stay 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 5 and the first by October 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Marshall, MN, 17 miles from the town’s center, 490 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lake Stay Township’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −20°. 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 42 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Tyler, MN, falls mostly in March and November. 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 89 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Lake Stay Township
92% 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 Marshall, MN.
Living with Lake Stay Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
150 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 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 Oct 3.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lake Stay Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (48%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 19%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lake Stay Township and its neighbors
Nordland Township the hottest July afternoons (83°, 1° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Lake Stay 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Stay Township, MN | 6° | 82° | 29" | 42" |
| Waupaca, WI | 8° | 82° | 32" | 49" |
| Clear Lake, IA | 7° | 82° | 36" | 44" |
| Iron Mountain, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
| Plattsburgh, NY | 9° | 81° | 35" | 50" |
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 Stay Township averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.0°).
A smaller shift than in 75% 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 Stay Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lake Stay Township’s place among Minnesota’s.
Lake Stay Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lake Stay Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Tyler, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22° | 6° | 0.7" | 6.5" | 5 | 2° – 27° |
| February | 27° | 9° | 0.8" | 6.2" | 4 | 5° – 30° |
| March | 39° | 21° | 1.6" | 8.8" | 6 | 20° – 45° |
| April | 54° | 33° | 2.8" | 5.4" | 8 | 32° – 52° |
| May | 68° | 45° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 52° – 64° |
| June | 78° | 56° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 62° – 71° |
| July | 82° | 60° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 63° – 78° |
| August | 79° | 58° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 63° – 73° |
| September | 72° | 49° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 54° – 66° |
| October | 58° | 37° | 2.4" | 0.4" | 7 | 40° – 52° |
| November | 41° | 23° | 1.2" | 8.3" | 5 | 21° – 44° |
| December | 27° | 11° | 0.9" | 6.4" | 5 | 5° – 27° |
| Year | 54° | 34° | 28.6" | 42.0" | 89 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 20° to 45°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Lake Stay 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 Lake Stay Township’s center.
- Snow: Tyler, MN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Marshall, MN, 17 miles from the town’s center, 490 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 Stay Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Lake Stay Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 6°, and about 42 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 98% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 83% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lake Stay Township in winter?
January nights average 6°. About 158 nights a year reach 32° or below and 30 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 2°.
How much snow does Lake Stay Township get?
About 42 inches in a normal winter at Tyler, MN, most of it in March and November.
How hot does it get in Lake Stay Township?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 60°. About 18 days a year reach 90° (Marshall, MN).
When is the first and last frost in Lake Stay Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 5 and the first fall frost by October 3, about 150 frost-free days, at Marshall, MN.
What growing zone is Lake Stay Township in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −20°.
What is the best time of year to visit Lake Stay 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 Lake Stay Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 75% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Lake Stay 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.