Leonard has some of the coldest winter nights among U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 78°. Temperatures cover 81° across the year, low to high. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in 96% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around May 12; autumn frost returns near October 4.
A year in Leonard at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Leonard’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Leonard’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Leonard 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 12 and the first by October 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Red Lake Indian Agcy, MN, 19 miles from the town’s center, 230 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Leonard’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 25 inches of rain a year
June is the wettest month and January the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Leonard
97% 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 Red Lake Indian Agcy, MN.
Living with Leonard’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 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 4.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 1.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Leonard from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (48%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 20%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Leonard and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Leonard 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 Leonard averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.4°).
A bigger 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 Leonard compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Leonard’s place among Minnesota’s.
Leonard weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Leonard’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 16° | −3° | 0.6" | −6° – 23° |
| February | 22° | 0° | 0.7" | 0° – 29° |
| March | 35° | 15° | 0.9" | 14° – 37° |
| April | 51° | 29° | 1.6" | 31° – 48° |
| May | 65° | 41° | 2.9" | 46° – 58° |
| June | 74° | 52° | 4.3" | 58° – 69° |
| July | 78° | 56° | 3.5" | 60° – 72° |
| August | 77° | 54° | 3.2" | 58° – 69° |
| September | 67° | 46° | 2.8" | 50° – 62° |
| October | 52° | 34° | 2.5" | 35° – 49° |
| November | 35° | 19° | 1.1" | 17° – 39° |
| December | 22° | 6° | 0.8" | 0° – 23° |
| Year | 50° | 29° | 24.9" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -6° to 23°. June is the most reliable, staying within 11°.
Where Leonard’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 Leonard’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Red Lake Indian Agcy, MN, 19 miles from the town’s center, 230 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 Leonard’s climate
What is the weather like in Leonard?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to −3°. Colder January nights than all but 18 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Leonard in winter?
January nights average −3°. About 187 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 −6°.
How hot does it get in Leonard?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 56°. About 4 days a year reach 90° (Red Lake Indian Agcy, MN).
When is the first and last frost in Leonard?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 12 and the first fall frost by October 4, about 142 frost-free days, at Red Lake Indian Agcy, MN.
What growing zone is Leonard 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 Leonard?
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 Leonard getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 75% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Leonard.
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.