Nielsville has some of the coldest winter nights among U.S. towns
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 81°. Seasons differ by 82°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 88% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 2 to October 9.
A year in Nielsville at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Nielsville’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Nielsville’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Nielsville feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 158 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 2 and the first by October 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Hillsboro 3 N, ND, 13 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Nielsville’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −28°. 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 23 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 Nielsville
94% 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 Hillsboro 3 N, ND.
Living with Nielsville’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
158 frost-free days in zone 4a. 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 9.
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 Nielsville 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 →Nielsville and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Nielsville 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 Nielsville averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.0°).
A bigger shift than in 51% 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 Nielsville compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Nielsville’s place among Minnesota’s.
Nielsville weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Nielsville’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 17° | −1° | 0.6" | −6° – 23° |
| February | 22° | 3° | 0.5" | −1° – 27° |
| March | 35° | 17° | 1.0" | 17° – 40° |
| April | 53° | 32° | 1.3" | 33° – 51° |
| May | 68° | 43° | 2.8" | 49° – 62° |
| June | 77° | 55° | 4.0" | 61° – 71° |
| July | 81° | 59° | 3.5" | 63° – 75° |
| August | 80° | 56° | 2.8" | 61° – 72° |
| September | 71° | 47° | 2.7" | 53° – 65° |
| October | 55° | 35° | 2.1" | 37° – 51° |
| November | 37° | 20° | 0.8" | 16° – 41° |
| December | 22° | 7° | 0.7" | 1° – 24° |
| Year | 51° | 31° | 22.9" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -6° to 23°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Nielsville’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 Nielsville’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hillsboro 3 N, ND, 13 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 Nielsville’s climate
What is the weather like in Nielsville?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to −1°. Colder January nights than all but 38 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 86% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Nielsville in winter?
January nights average −1°. About 174 nights a year reach 32° or below and 44 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −6°.
How hot does it get in Nielsville?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 59°. About 10 days a year reach 90° (Hillsboro 3 N, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Nielsville?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 2 and the first fall frost by October 9, about 158 frost-free days, at Hillsboro 3 N, ND.
What growing zone is Nielsville in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −28°.
What is the best time of year to visit Nielsville?
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 Nielsville getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 51% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Nielsville.
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.