Listening Point · Photo: McGhiever · CC BY-SA 4.0Hardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than Morse Township
High summer brings afternoon highs near 78°. June is the wettest month, February the driest. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 96% of U.S. towns. Homes need heating from October to April, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Morse Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Morse Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Morse Township’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Morse Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 121 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 24 and the first by September 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ely, MN, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Morse Township’s center in zone 3b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −34°. 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 65 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Ely, MN, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 29 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 139 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Morse Township
98% 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 Ely, MN.
Living with Morse Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
121 frost-free days in zone 3b. The last frost comes by May 24 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 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 67 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 52% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Morse Township from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Morse Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Morse Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Morse 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morse Township, MN | −5° | 78° | 29" | 65" |
| Rhinelander, WI | 3° | 78° | 33" | 82" |
| Kingsford, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
| Grand Forks, ND | −2° | 81° | 22" | 49" |
| Watertown, SD | 2° | 81° | 25" | 41" |
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 Morse Township averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.9°).
A bigger shift than in 85% 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 Morse Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Morse Township’s place among Minnesota’s.
Morse Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Morse Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ely, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 16° | −5° | 1.0" | 13.8" | 11 | −7° – 20° |
| February | 23° | −2° | 0.9" | 9.3" | 9 | −2° – 28° |
| March | 36° | 11° | 1.1" | 8.4" | 9 | 12° – 37° |
| April | 50° | 25° | 2.0" | 7.7" | 10 | 29° – 46° |
| May | 64° | 38° | 3.0" | 0.3" | 14 | 46° – 57° |
| June | 73° | 48° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 15 | 57° – 67° |
| July | 78° | 53° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 58° – 70° |
| August | 76° | 51° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 57° – 67° |
| September | 66° | 44° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 48° – 61° |
| October | 51° | 32° | 2.8" | 2.1" | 14 | 34° – 46° |
| November | 34° | 18° | 1.7" | 9.8" | 10 | 15° – 36° |
| December | 21° | 4° | 1.3" | 13.2" | 11 | −2° – 22° |
| Year | 49° | 27° | 28.6" | 64.6" | 139 |
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 28°. August is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Morse 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 Morse Township’s center.
- Snow: Ely, MN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ely, MN, 8 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 Morse Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Morse Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to −5°, and about 65 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 13 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Morse Township in winter?
January nights average −5°. About 200 nights a year reach 32° or below and 57 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −7°.
How much snow does Morse Township get?
About 65 inches in a normal winter at Ely, MN, most of it in January and December.
How hot does it get in Morse Township?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 53°. About 7 days a year reach 90° (Ely, MN).
When is the first and last frost in Morse Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 24 and the first fall frost by September 23, about 121 frost-free days, at Ely, MN.
What growing zone is Morse Township in?
Zone 3b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −34°.
What is the best time of year to visit Morse 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 Morse Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 85% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Morse 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.