Norfolk Township sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 82° on average. The year swings widely: the coldest month’s nights and the warmest month’s afternoons are 77° apart. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 86% of U.S. towns. Central heating does most of its work from October to April, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Norfolk Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Norfolk Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Norfolk Township’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Norfolk Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 146 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 6 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Olivia 3e, MN, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Norfolk Township’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −21°. 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 38 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Olivia 3e, MN, falls mostly in February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 30 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 72 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Norfolk Township
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 Olivia 3e, MN.
Living with Norfolk Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
146 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 6 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: May, June, July, August and September. 1.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Norfolk Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (36%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 25%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Norfolk Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Norfolk Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Norfolk 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norfolk Township, MN | 6° | 82° | 30" | 38" |
| Berlin, WI | 9° | 82° | 33" | 38" |
| Fort Dodge, IA | 9° | 83° | 34" | 39" |
| Plattsburgh, NY | 9° | 81° | 35" | 50" |
| Wayne, NE | 11° | 85° | 29" | 32" |
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 Norfolk Township averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.0°).
A smaller shift than in 71% 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 Norfolk Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Norfolk Township’s place among Minnesota’s.
Norfolk Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Norfolk Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Olivia 3e, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22° | 6° | 0.6" | 6.6" | 4 | 2° – 26° |
| February | 27° | 9° | 0.7" | 8.7" | 3 | 7° – 31° |
| March | 40° | 22° | 1.5" | 6.7" | 4 | 21° – 46° |
| April | 56° | 34° | 2.7" | 2.4" | 7 | 34° – 53° |
| May | 69° | 47° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 53° – 65° |
| June | 79° | 58° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 64° – 73° |
| July | 82° | 61° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 64° – 78° |
| August | 80° | 58° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 64° – 73° |
| September | 73° | 50° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 54° – 67° |
| October | 58° | 38° | 2.4" | 0.1" | 6 | 41° – 53° |
| November | 41° | 24° | 1.3" | 3.8" | 3 | 22° – 44° |
| December | 27° | 12° | 0.9" | 9.4" | 4 | 5° – 27° |
| Year | 55° | 35° | 29.6" | 37.7" | 72 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 21° to 46°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Norfolk 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 Norfolk Township’s center.
- Snow: Olivia 3e, MN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Olivia 3e, MN, 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 Norfolk Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Norfolk Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 6°, and about 38 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 98% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 78% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Norfolk Township in winter?
January nights average 6°. About 170 nights a year reach 32° or below and 38 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 2°.
How much snow does Norfolk Township get?
About 38 inches in a normal winter at Olivia 3e, MN, most of it in February and December.
How hot does it get in Norfolk Township?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 61°. About 10 days a year reach 90° (Olivia 3e, MN).
When is the first and last frost in Norfolk Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 6 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 146 frost-free days, at Olivia 3e, MN.
What growing zone is Norfolk Township in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −21°.
What is the best time of year to visit Norfolk 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 Norfolk Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 71% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Norfolk 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.