Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Northome
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 78° on average. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 96% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.8° higher. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about May 16, with the first autumn frost due around September 26.
A year in Northome at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Northome’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Northome’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Northome feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 131 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 16 and the first by September 26. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Northome 3s, MN, 2.7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Northome’s center in zone 3b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −33°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 26 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 Northome
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 Northome 3s, MN.
Living with Northome’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
131 frost-free days in zone 3b. The last frost comes by May 16 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 26.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 2.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Northome from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (67%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 23%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Northome and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Northome 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 Northome averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.4°).
A bigger shift than in 79% 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 Northome compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Northome’s place among Minnesota’s.
Northome weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Northome’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 16° | −4° | 0.8" | −7° – 22° |
| February | 23° | −1° | 0.7" | 0° – 29° |
| March | 36° | 13° | 1.0" | 14° – 38° |
| April | 51° | 27° | 1.7" | 30° – 47° |
| May | 64° | 39° | 3.0" | 46° – 57° |
| June | 73° | 50° | 4.2" | 57° – 67° |
| July | 78° | 55° | 3.9" | 59° – 71° |
| August | 76° | 52° | 3.3" | 58° – 67° |
| September | 67° | 44° | 2.9" | 49° – 61° |
| October | 52° | 33° | 2.7" | 34° – 48° |
| November | 34° | 19° | 1.2" | 16° – 39° |
| December | 21° | 4° | 0.9" | −2° – 23° |
| Year | 49° | 28° | 26.4" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 0° to 29°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Northome’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 Northome’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Northome 3s, MN, 2.7 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 Northome’s climate
What is the weather like in Northome?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to −4°. Colder January nights than all but 14 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Northome in winter?
January nights average −4°. About 195 nights a year reach 32° or below and 58 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −7°.
How hot does it get in Northome?
July, with a typical high of 78°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Northome 3s, MN.
When is the first and last frost in Northome?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 16 and the first fall frost by September 26, about 131 frost-free days, at Northome 3s, MN.
What growing zone is Northome in?
Zone 3b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −33°.
What is the best time of year to visit Northome?
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 Northome getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 79% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Northome.
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.