Lismore sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
Expect July afternoons of about 83°. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 86% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 0.9° above 1901–2000. Tender plants can go out after about May 7; in half of years the first frost comes by September 29.
A year in Lismore at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lismore’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lismore’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Lismore feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 145 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 7 and the first by September 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Lake Wilson, MN, 17 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lismore’s center in zone 4b: 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 45 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Worthington 2 Nne, MN, falls mostly in February. 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 109 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Lismore
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 Lake Wilson, MN.
Living with Lismore’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
145 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 7 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 29.
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 Lismore from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (38%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 18%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lismore and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Lismore yet.
Climates most like Lismore’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lismore, MN | 6° | 83° | 29" | 45" |
| Hudson, WI | 6° | 82° | 33" | 50" |
| Wahpeton, ND | 1° | 82° | 25" | 50" |
| Plattsburgh, NY | 9° | 81° | 35" | 50" |
| Iron Mountain, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
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 Lismore averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.4°).
A smaller shift than in 87% 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 Lismore compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lismore’s place among Minnesota’s.
Lismore weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lismore’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Worthington 2 Nne, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 23° | 6° | 0.7" | 9.8" | 8 | 25 | 4° – 28° |
| February | 28° | 10° | 0.8" | 10.9" | 7 | 22 | 7° – 31° |
| March | 41° | 22° | 1.5" | 5.7" | 8 | 15 | 22° – 46° |
| April | 56° | 33° | 2.9" | 4.4" | 10 | 3 | 33° – 53° |
| May | 69° | 46° | 4.0" | 0.2" | 14 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| June | 79° | 57° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| July | 83° | 60° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 64° – 78° |
| August | 80° | 58° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| September | 73° | 49° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| October | 59° | 36° | 2.2" | 1.0" | 9 | 1 | 40° – 53° |
| November | 42° | 23° | 1.3" | 4.6" | 6 | 7 | 23° – 45° |
| December | 28° | 12° | 0.8" | 8.6" | 7 | 20 | 6° – 27° |
| Year | 55° | 34° | 29.1" | 45.2" | 109 | 93 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 7° to 31°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Lismore’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 Lismore’s center.
- Snow: Worthington 2 Nne, MN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lake Wilson, MN, 17 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 Lismore’s climate
What is the weather like in Lismore?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 6°, and about 45 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 97% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 76% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lismore in winter?
January nights average 6°. About 171 nights a year reach 32° or below and 32 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 4°.
How much snow does Lismore get?
About 45 inches in a normal winter at Worthington 2 Nne, MN, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 93 days a year.
How hot does it get in Lismore?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 60°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Lake Wilson, MN).
When is the first and last frost in Lismore?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 7 and the first fall frost by September 29, about 145 frost-free days, at Lake Wilson, MN.
What growing zone is Lismore in?
Zone 4b 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 Lismore?
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 Lismore getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 87% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Lismore.
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.