Photo: LakeLida at English Wikipedia · Public domainHardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than Pelican Rapids
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 80°. Precipitation peaks in June and eases off in February. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 92% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 5 to October 3.
A year in Pelican Rapids at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Pelican Rapids’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Pelican Rapids’ place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Pelican Rapids feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 149 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 5 and the first by October 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Rothsay, MN, 11 miles from the town’s center, 130 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Pelican Rapids’ center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −26°. 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 54 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Pelican Rapids, MN, falls mostly in January and December. 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 107 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Pelican Rapids
95% 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 Rothsay, MN.
Living with Pelican Rapids’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
149 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 5 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 3.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Pelican Rapids from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (48%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 34%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Pelican Rapids and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Pelican Rapids yet.
Climates most like Pelican Rapids’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pelican Rapids, MN | −1° | 80° | 26" | 54" |
| Kingsford, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
| Rice Lake, WI | 3° | 80° | 33" | 53" |
| Brookings, SD | 5° | 82° | 27" | 36" |
| Minot, ND | 2° | 82° | 17" | 52" |
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 Pelican Rapids averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.8°).
A bigger shift than in 52% 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 Pelican Rapids compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Pelican Rapids’ place among Minnesota’s.
Pelican Rapids weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Pelican Rapids’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Pelican Rapids, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 18° | −1° | 0.7" | 11.2" | 8 | −6° – 24° |
| February | 23° | 3° | 0.7" | 7.6" | 6 | 2° – 27° |
| March | 36° | 18° | 1.1" | 9.3" | 8 | 16° – 42° |
| April | 53° | 31° | 1.9" | 5.5" | 7 | 32° – 51° |
| May | 67° | 44° | 3.3" | 0.1" | 12 | 49° – 62° |
| June | 76° | 55° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 61° – 70° |
| July | 80° | 59° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 62° – 74° |
| August | 78° | 56° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 61° – 72° |
| September | 70° | 48° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 53° – 64° |
| October | 55° | 35° | 2.5" | 1.8" | 9 | 37° – 50° |
| November | 38° | 21° | 0.9" | 7.5" | 6 | 17° – 41° |
| December | 24° | 7° | 0.8" | 11.0" | 8 | 0° – 24° |
| Year | 51° | 31° | 26.1" | 54.0" | 107 |
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 24°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Pelican Rapids’ 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 Pelican Rapids’ center.
- Snow: Pelican Rapids, MN (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Rothsay, MN, 11 miles from the town’s center, 130 ft lower; 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 Pelican Rapids’ climate
What is the weather like in Pelican Rapids?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to −1°, and about 54 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 38 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 92% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Pelican Rapids in winter?
January nights average −1°. About 171 nights a year reach 32° or below and 43 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −6°.
How much snow does Pelican Rapids get?
About 54 inches in a normal winter at Pelican Rapids, MN, most of it in January and December.
How hot does it get in Pelican Rapids?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 59°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Rothsay, MN).
When is the first and last frost in Pelican Rapids?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 5 and the first fall frost by October 3, about 149 frost-free days, at Rothsay, MN.
What growing zone is Pelican Rapids in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −26°.
What is the best time of year to visit Pelican Rapids?
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 Pelican Rapids getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Pelican Rapids.
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.