Nelson’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 1°, and about 54 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Nelson at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Nelson’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Nelson’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Nelson feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 159 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 2 and the first by October 8. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Alexandria Muni Airport, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Nelson’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −25°. 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 54 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Long Prairie, MN, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 27 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 121 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Nelson
95% 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 Alexandria Muni Airport.
Living with Nelson’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
159 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 2 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 8.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Nelson from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (50%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 28%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Nelson and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Nelson in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Nelson’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nelson, MN | 1° | 80° | 27" | 54" |
| Kingsford, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
| Rice Lake, WI | 3° | 80° | 33" | 53" |
| Grand Forks, ND | −2° | 81° | 22" | 49" |
| Madison, SD | 6° | 83° | 27" | 37" |
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 Nelson averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.8°).
A bigger shift than in 67% 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 Nelson compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Nelson’s place among Minnesota’s.
Nelson weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Nelson’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Long Prairie, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 19° | 1° | 0.6" | 9.7" | 9 | 28 | −4° – 23° |
| February | 24° | 5° | 0.6" | 9.0" | 7 | 26 | 3° – 28° |
| March | 37° | 18° | 1.2" | 8.6" | 8 | 20 | 18° – 42° |
| April | 53° | 31° | 2.2" | 6.1" | 10 | 5 | 33° – 51° |
| May | 67° | 44° | 3.3" | 0.2" | 12 | 0 | 50° – 63° |
| June | 76° | 54° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| July | 80° | 59° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 62° – 75° |
| August | 78° | 56° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 61° – 71° |
| September | 70° | 48° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 52° – 65° |
| October | 55° | 35° | 2.6" | 1.8" | 11 | 1 | 37° – 50° |
| November | 38° | 21° | 1.0" | 7.1" | 8 | 9 | 19° – 40° |
| December | 24° | 8° | 0.7" | 11.5" | 9 | 23 | 1° – 24° |
| Year | 52° | 32° | 27.3" | 54.0" | 121 | 112 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -4° to 23°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Nelson’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 Nelson’s center.
- Snow: Long Prairie, MN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Alexandria Muni Airport, 6 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 Nelson’s climate
What is the weather like in Nelson?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 1°, and about 54 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 63 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 93% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Nelson in winter?
January nights average 1°. About 167 nights a year reach 32° or below and 37 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −4°.
How much snow does Nelson get?
About 54 inches in a normal winter at Long Prairie, MN, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 112 days a year.
How hot does it get in Nelson?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 59°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Alexandria Muni Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Nelson?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 2 and the first fall frost by October 8, about 159 frost-free days, at Alexandria Muni Airport.
What growing zone is Nelson in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −25°.
What is the best time of year to visit Nelson?
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 Nelson getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 67% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Nelson.
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.