Hardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than Orton Township
Midsummer highs settle at about 79°. A year here swings 80° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 94% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around May 14; autumn frost returns near September 25.
A year in Orton Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Orton Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Orton Township’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Orton Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 133 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 14 and the first by September 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Park Rapids Muni Airport, 19 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Orton Township’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −29°. 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 51 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Wadena 3 S, MN, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 26 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 91 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Orton Township
96% 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 Park Rapids Muni Airport.
Living with Orton Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
133 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 14 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 25.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 2.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Orton Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (61%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Orton Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Orton Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Orton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orton Township, MN | −1° | 79° | 26" | 51" |
| Watertown, SD | 2° | 81° | 25" | 41" |
| Kingsford, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
| Rice Lake, WI | 3° | 80° | 33" | 53" |
| Jamestown, ND | 1° | 82° | 21" | 46" |
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 Orton Township averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.1°).
A bigger shift than in 81% 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 Orton Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Orton Township’s place among Minnesota’s.
Orton Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Orton Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Wadena 3 S, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 18° | −1° | 0.6" | 12.2" | 6 | −4° – 23° |
| February | 24° | 3° | 0.6" | 7.9" | 6 | 2° – 29° |
| March | 37° | 17° | 1.2" | 8.9" | 7 | 17° – 40° |
| April | 52° | 30° | 2.0" | 4.5" | 8 | 33° – 49° |
| May | 66° | 43° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 49° – 61° |
| June | 75° | 54° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 60° – 69° |
| July | 79° | 58° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 61° – 74° |
| August | 78° | 56° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 60° – 71° |
| September | 69° | 47° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 51° – 64° |
| October | 54° | 35° | 2.6" | 1.1" | 9 | 37° – 50° |
| November | 37° | 21° | 1.1" | 7.5" | 6 | 19° – 40° |
| December | 23° | 8° | 0.8" | 8.7" | 6 | 1° – 25° |
| Year | 51° | 31° | 26.4" | 50.8" | 91 |
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 9°.
Where Orton 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 Orton Township’s center.
- Snow: Wadena 3 S, MN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Park Rapids Muni Airport, 19 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 Orton Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Orton Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to −1°, and about 51 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 40 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Orton Township in winter?
January nights average −1°. About 186 nights a year reach 32° or below and 50 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −4°.
How much snow does Orton Township get?
About 51 inches in a normal winter at Wadena 3 S, MN, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Orton Township?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 58°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Park Rapids Muni Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Orton Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 14 and the first fall frost by September 25, about 133 frost-free days, at Park Rapids Muni Airport.
What growing zone is Orton Township in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −29°.
What is the best time of year to visit Orton 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 Orton Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 81% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Orton 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.