Hardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than Mountain Iron
July afternoons average 78°. Precipitation peaks in June and eases off in February. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 96% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 12 to October 1.
A year in Mountain Iron at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Mountain Iron’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Mountain Iron’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Mountain Iron feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 141 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 12 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Eveleth Wwtp, MN, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Mountain Iron’s center in zone 3b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −31°. 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 69 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Tower 2s, MN, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 27 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 116 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Mountain Iron
98% 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 Eveleth Wwtp, MN.
Living with Mountain Iron’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
141 frost-free days in zone 3b. The last frost comes by May 12 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 42 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 58% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Mountain Iron from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Mountain Iron and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Mountain Iron in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Mountain Iron’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain Iron, MN | −3° | 78° | 27" | 69" |
| Kingsford, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
| Rhinelander, WI | 3° | 78° | 33" | 82" |
| 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 Mountain Iron averaged 2.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+4.4°).
A bigger shift than in all but 144 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 Mountain Iron compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Mountain Iron’s place among Minnesota’s.
Mountain Iron weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Mountain Iron’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Tower 2s, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 17° | −3° | 0.8" | 13.4" | 7 | −6° – 21° |
| February | 24° | 0° | 0.7" | 10.8" | 7 | 1° – 28° |
| March | 37° | 13° | 1.1" | 7.9" | 6 | 15° – 38° |
| April | 51° | 26° | 1.8" | 8.0" | 8 | 30° – 47° |
| May | 65° | 39° | 3.0" | 0.4" | 12 | 46° – 58° |
| June | 74° | 49° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 13 | 57° – 67° |
| July | 78° | 53° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 13 | 59° – 71° |
| August | 76° | 51° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 58° – 67° |
| September | 67° | 44° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 48° – 61° |
| October | 52° | 32° | 2.6" | 2.4" | 10 | 34° – 47° |
| November | 35° | 19° | 1.5" | 11.0" | 9 | 17° – 38° |
| December | 22° | 5° | 1.0" | 14.8" | 8 | 0° – 23° |
| Year | 50° | 27° | 27.4" | 68.7" | 116 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 1° to 28°. August is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Mountain Iron’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 Mountain Iron’s center.
- Snow: Tower 2s, MN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Eveleth Wwtp, MN, 7 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 Mountain Iron’s climate
What is the weather like in Mountain Iron?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to −3°, and about 69 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 17 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Mountain Iron in winter?
January nights average −3°. About 189 nights a year reach 32° or below and 47 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −6°.
How much snow does Mountain Iron get?
About 69 inches in a normal winter at Tower 2s, MN, most of it in January and December.
How hot does it get in Mountain Iron?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 53°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Eveleth Wwtp, MN).
When is the first and last frost in Mountain Iron?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 12 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 141 frost-free days, at Eveleth Wwtp, MN.
What growing zone is Mountain Iron in?
Zone 3b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −31°.
What is the best time of year to visit Mountain Iron?
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 Mountain Iron getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than all but 144 U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Mountain Iron.
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.