Little Elbow Township sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
Expect July afternoons of about 78°. Precipitation peaks in June and eases off in January. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in 96% of U.S. towns. Comfortable outdoor weather lasts from May to September, with highs of 65–78°.
A year in Little Elbow Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Little Elbow Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Little Elbow Township’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Little Elbow 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 Tamarac Wildlife Re, MN, 16 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Little Elbow Township’s center in zone 3b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −30°. 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 52 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Itasca Univ Of Minn, MN, falls mostly in January, November and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 26 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 126 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Little Elbow Township
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 Tamarac Wildlife Re, MN.
Living with Little Elbow Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
150 frost-free days in zone 3b. 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. 6.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Little Elbow Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (35%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 28%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Little Elbow Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Little Elbow Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Little Elbow 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little Elbow Township, MN | −2° | 78° | 26" | 52" |
| Kingsford, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
| Watertown, SD | 2° | 81° | 25" | 41" |
| Antigo, WI | 5° | 79° | 32" | 54" |
| Minot, ND | 2° | 82° | 17" | 52" |
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 Little Elbow Township averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.0°).
A bigger shift than in 60% 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 Little Elbow Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Little Elbow Township’s place among Minnesota’s.
Little Elbow Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Little Elbow Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Itasca Univ Of Minn, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 16° | −2° | 0.7" | 9.6" | 9 | −7° – 22° |
| February | 22° | 1° | 0.7" | 8.0" | 8 | 0° – 28° |
| March | 35° | 15° | 1.0" | 7.8" | 8 | 14° – 39° |
| April | 51° | 29° | 1.8" | 6.2" | 9 | 31° – 49° |
| May | 65° | 42° | 3.2" | 0.1" | 13 | 47° – 60° |
| June | 74° | 52° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 14 | 58° – 68° |
| July | 78° | 57° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 60° – 72° |
| August | 77° | 54° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 59° – 70° |
| September | 68° | 46° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 50° – 63° |
| October | 52° | 34° | 2.5" | 1.0" | 11 | 36° – 49° |
| November | 35° | 20° | 1.0" | 9.1" | 9 | 17° – 39° |
| December | 22° | 6° | 0.9" | 9.8" | 10 | 0° – 22° |
| Year | 50° | 29° | 26.0" | 51.6" | 126 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -7° to 22°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Little Elbow 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 Little Elbow Township’s center.
- Snow: Itasca Univ Of Minn, MN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Tamarac Wildlife Re, MN, 16 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 Little Elbow Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Little Elbow Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to −2°, and about 52 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 22 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Little Elbow Township in winter?
January nights average −2°. About 182 nights a year reach 32° or below and 53 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −7°.
How much snow does Little Elbow Township get?
About 52 inches in a normal winter at Itasca Univ Of Minn, MN, most of it in January, November and December.
How hot does it get in Little Elbow Township?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 57°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Tamarac Wildlife Re, MN).
When is the first and last frost in Little Elbow 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 Tamarac Wildlife Re, MN.
What growing zone is Little Elbow Township in?
Zone 3b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −30°.
What is the best time of year to visit Little Elbow 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 Little Elbow Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Little Elbow 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.