Maxwell Township sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 83° on average. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 87% of U.S. towns. January has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.2° rise. The outdoor season runs from May to September, with highs of 70–83°.
A year in Maxwell Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Maxwell Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Maxwell Township’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Maxwell Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 151 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 3 and the first by October 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Madison Wwtp, MN, 12 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Maxwell Township’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 51 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Dawson, MN, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 27 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 80 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Maxwell Township
93% 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 Madison Wwtp, MN.
Living with Maxwell Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
151 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 3 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 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 1.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Maxwell Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (49%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 34%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Maxwell Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Maxwell Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Maxwell 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maxwell Township, MN | 5° | 83° | 27" | 51" |
| Hudson, WI | 6° | 82° | 33" | 50" |
| Kingsford, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
| Algona, IA | 8° | 83° | 34" | 37" |
| Jamestown, ND | 1° | 82° | 21" | 46" |
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 Maxwell Township averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.1°).
A smaller shift than in 65% 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 Maxwell Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Maxwell Township’s place among Minnesota’s.
Maxwell Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Maxwell Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Dawson, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 23° | 5° | 0.6" | 8.7" | 5 | 1° – 27° |
| February | 28° | 8° | 0.7" | 9.5" | 5 | 5° – 30° |
| March | 40° | 21° | 1.4" | 8.1" | 6 | 20° – 45° |
| April | 56° | 34° | 2.5" | 6.8" | 7 | 34° – 53° |
| May | 70° | 46° | 3.3" | 0.1" | 9 | 53° – 65° |
| June | 79° | 57° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 63° – 72° |
| July | 83° | 61° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 64° – 78° |
| August | 81° | 58° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 64° – 73° |
| September | 74° | 50° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 55° – 67° |
| October | 59° | 37° | 2.3" | 0.6" | 7 | 40° – 53° |
| November | 42° | 23° | 1.1" | 5.5" | 4 | 21° – 44° |
| December | 28° | 11° | 0.8" | 12.1" | 5 | 5° – 27° |
| Year | 55° | 34° | 27.0" | 51.4" | 80 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 1° to 27°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Maxwell 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 Maxwell Township’s center.
- Snow: Dawson, MN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Madison Wwtp, MN, 12 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 Maxwell Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Maxwell Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 5°, and about 51 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 181 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 69% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Maxwell Township in winter?
January nights average 5°. About 168 nights a year reach 32° or below and 36 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 1°.
How much snow does Maxwell Township get?
About 51 inches in a normal winter at Dawson, MN, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Maxwell Township?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 61°. About 16 days a year reach 90° (Madison Wwtp, MN).
When is the first and last frost in Maxwell Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 3 and the first fall frost by October 2, about 151 frost-free days, at Madison Wwtp, MN.
What growing zone is Maxwell Township 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 Maxwell 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 Maxwell Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Maxwell 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.