Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Otrey Township
High summer brings afternoon highs near 82°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 87% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.2° more than in 1901–2000, led by January. Long walks are most pleasant from May to September, when afternoons reach 69–82°.
A year in Otrey Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Otrey Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Otrey Township’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Otrey Township 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 1 and the first by October 8. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Artichoke Lake 1 E, MN, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Otrey Township’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −22°. 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 43 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Artichoke Lake 1 E, MN, falls mostly in January, February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 26 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 95 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Otrey Township
92% 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 Artichoke Lake 1 E, MN.
Living with Otrey Township’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 1 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. 5.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 36% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Otrey Township from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Otrey Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Otrey Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Otrey 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Otrey Township, MN | 3° | 82° | 26" | 43" |
| Jamestown, ND | 1° | 82° | 21" | 46" |
| Sheldon, IA | 7° | 84° | 30" | 41" |
| Hudson, WI | 6° | 82° | 33" | 50" |
| Kingsford, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
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 Otrey Township averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.9°).
A smaller shift than in 60% 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 Otrey Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Otrey Township’s place among Minnesota’s.
Otrey Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Otrey Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Artichoke Lake 1 E, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21° | 3° | 0.6" | 9.1" | 7 | 26 | −1° – 26° |
| February | 26° | 7° | 0.6" | 8.2" | 6 | 23 | 4° – 29° |
| March | 39° | 20° | 1.2" | 6.4" | 7 | 16 | 20° – 43° |
| April | 55° | 33° | 2.3" | 4.0" | 8 | 4 | 34° – 52° |
| May | 69° | 45° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 52° – 65° |
| June | 78° | 57° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| July | 82° | 61° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 64° – 77° |
| August | 80° | 58° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| September | 73° | 49° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 54° – 67° |
| October | 58° | 36° | 2.3" | 0.9" | 8 | 1 | 39° – 52° |
| November | 41° | 22° | 1.0" | 5.5" | 6 | 6 | 20° – 42° |
| December | 27° | 10° | 0.7" | 8.9" | 7 | 21 | 3° – 26° |
| Year | 54° | 33° | 25.5" | 43.0" | 95 | 96 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -1° to 26°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Otrey 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 Otrey Township’s center.
- Snow: Artichoke Lake 1 E, MN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Artichoke Lake 1 E, MN, 9 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 Otrey Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Otrey Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 3°, and about 43 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 110 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 77% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Otrey Township in winter?
January nights average 3°. About 163 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 −1°.
How much snow does Otrey Township get?
About 43 inches in a normal winter at Artichoke Lake 1 E, MN, most of it in January, February and December, with snow on the ground about 96 days a year.
How hot does it get in Otrey Township?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 61°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Artichoke Lake 1 E, MN).
When is the first and last frost in Otrey Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 1 and the first fall frost by October 8, about 159 frost-free days, at Artichoke Lake 1 E, MN.
What growing zone is Otrey Township in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −22°.
What is the best time of year to visit Otrey 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 Otrey Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Otrey 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.