Height of Land · Photo: John Lorenzen · CC BY-SA 3.0Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Lutsen Township
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 74°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in almost every U.S. town. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.4°, most of all in December. The heating season runs October to May: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Lutsen Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lutsen Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lutsen Township’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Lutsen Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 126 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 26 and the first by September 27. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Lutsen 3nne, MN, 6 miles from the town’s center, 340 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lutsen Township’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −29°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 30 inches of rain a year
June is the wettest month and February the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Lutsen Township
99% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from September 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 Lutsen 3nne, MN.
Living with Lutsen Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
126 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 26 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 27.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 116 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lutsen Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (54%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 26%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lutsen Township and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Lutsen Township 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 Lutsen Township averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.0°).
A bigger shift than in 53% 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 Lutsen Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lutsen Township’s place among Minnesota’s.
Lutsen Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lutsen Township’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 18° | −1° | 1.0" | −4° – 21° |
| February | 23° | 1° | 1.0" | −2° – 25° |
| March | 34° | 12° | 1.3" | 13° – 35° |
| April | 46° | 25° | 2.4" | 29° – 43° |
| May | 60° | 37° | 3.1" | 44° – 53° |
| June | 69° | 47° | 4.0" | 55° – 63° |
| July | 74° | 52° | 3.8" | 56° – 69° |
| August | 73° | 51° | 2.9" | 56° – 65° |
| September | 64° | 44° | 3.3" | 46° – 59° |
| October | 49° | 33° | 3.1" | 35° – 45° |
| November | 34° | 20° | 2.1" | 17° – 37° |
| December | 23° | 7° | 1.6" | 2° – 23° |
| Year | 47° | 27° | 29.6" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -2° to 25°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Lutsen 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 Lutsen Township’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lutsen 3nne, MN, 6 miles from the town’s center, 340 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 Lutsen Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Lutsen Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 74°, a January night drops to −1°. Colder January nights than all but 40 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 179 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lutsen Township in winter?
January nights average −1°. About 202 nights a year reach 32° or below and 54 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −4°.
How hot does it get in Lutsen Township?
July, with a typical high of 74°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Lutsen 3nne, MN.
When is the first and last frost in Lutsen Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 26 and the first fall frost by September 27, about 126 frost-free days, at Lutsen 3nne, MN.
What growing zone is Lutsen Township in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −29°.
What is the best time of year to visit Lutsen Township?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Lutsen Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 53% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Lutsen 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.