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Climate in Pine Lake Township · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Pine Lake Township has some of the coldest winter nights among U.S. towns

High summer brings afternoon highs near 80°. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 93% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.9°, most of all in December. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from October to April, which average under 50°.

Colder January nights than all but 69 U.S. towns#42 coldest of 271 in MN
More snow than 78% of U.S. towns#164Snowiest  of 268 in MN
All MN rankings →

A year in Pine Lake Township at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan20°1° 7" snow
Feb26°5° 8" snow
Mar39°18° 8" snow
Apr53°30° 4" snow
May66°42° Last frost ~May 13
Jun75°51° Wettest
Jul80°57° 1 day 90°+
Aug78°55°
Sep69°47° First frost ~Sep 29
Oct55°35°
Nov now39°22° 9" snow
Dec25°9° 9" snow

What stands out about Pine Lake Township’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Pine Lake Township’s place in Minnesota beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Pine Lake Township feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
24° / 5°
16 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
53° / 30°
Last frost around May 13
Summer
78° / 54°
2 days reach 90°
Fall
54° / 35°
First frost around Sep 29
Best months to be outsideMayJunJulAugSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 137 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 13 and the first by September 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Sandstone 6 W, MN, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.

177
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
38th most of 271 in Minnesota
More freezing nights than 97% of U.S. towns
39
nights at or below 0°
48th most of 271 in Minnesota
More nights at or below 0° than all but 92 U.S. towns
2
days that reach 90°
3rd fewest of 271 in Minnesota
Fewer 90° days than 97% of U.S. towns
0
days that reach 100°
None in a normal year
4aUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 4a

The 2023 USDA map puts Pine Lake Township’s 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°

31
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

0.6
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 45 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Hinckley, MN, is heaviest from November through December, about 9 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 31 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 112 days a year.

31"
Rain + melted snow a year
104th driest of 271 in Minnesota
Drier than 85% of U.S. towns
45"
Snow in a normal winter
164th snowiest of 268 in Minnesota
More snow than 78% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

4.5"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

9"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Pine Lake Township

97% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.

8,836 heating degree daysMore heating than all but 145 U.S. towns
266 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 96% of U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Sandstone 6 W, MN.

Living here

Living with Pine Lake Township’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

137 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 13 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 29.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Pine Lake Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (54%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 32%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Pine Lake Township and its neighbors

Every town next door is within a degree of Pine Lake Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.

Kroschel Township: January low 2°, July high 80°Sandstone Township: January low 2°, July high 80°Hinckley Township: January low 2°, July high 80°Partridge Township: January low 1°, July high 80°Rutledge: January low 1°, July high 80°Williams Township: January low 1°, July high 79°Millward Township: January low 1°, July high 79°Birch Creek Township: January low 1°, July high 79°Willow River: January low 1°, July high 80°Sturgeon Lake Township: January low 1°, July high 79°Norman Township: January low 1°, July high 79°Dell Grove Township: January low 2°, July high 80°Finlayson Township: January low 1°, July high 80°Wagner Township: January low 1°, July high 79°Bremen Township: January low 1°, July high 79°Finlayson: January low 1°, July high 80°Kettle River Township: January low 1°, July high 80°Pine Lake Township: January low 1°, July high 80°Pine Lake TownshipDell Grove TownshipFinlayson TownshipWagner TownshipBremen TownshipFinlaysonKettle River Township
ColderMilder1° to 2°
Kettle River Township0.9° about the same
Bremen Township1.1° about the same
Finlayson Township1.2° about the same
Finlayson1.2° about the same
Pine Lake Township1.3°
Wagner Township1.3° about the same
Dell Grove Township1.5° about the same

Climates most like Pine Lake 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.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
Pine Lake Township, MN1°80°31"45"
Antigo, WI5°79°32"54"
Kingsford, MI5°80°29"61"
Watertown, SD2°81°25"41"
Wahpeton, ND1°82°25"50"

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.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Pine Lake Township averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+4.2°).

+1.9°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A bigger shift than in 84% of U.S. towns.

Winter+3.9°now 15°, was 11°
Spring+1.3°now 41°, was 40°
Summer+0.8°now 66°, was 65°
Fall+1.4°now 44°, was 43°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How Pine Lake Township compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Pine Lake Township’s place among Minnesota’s.

Summer heat80° July high
Cooler July afternoons than 93% of U.S. towns30th coolest of 271 in Minnesota
Winter cold1° January low
Colder January nights than all but 69 U.S. towns42nd coldest of 271 in Minnesota
Precipitation31" a year
Drier than 85% of U.S. towns104th driest of 271 in Minnesota
Snow45" a winter
More snow than 78% of U.S. towns164th snowiest of 268 in Minnesota
Hot days2 days at 90°+
Fewer 90° days than 97% of U.S. towns3rd fewest of 271 in Minnesota
Freezing nights177 a year
More freezing nights than 97% of U.S. towns38th most of 271 in Minnesota
Growing season137 frost-free days
A shorter frost-free season than 97% of U.S. towns19th shortest of 270 in Minnesota
Month by month

Pine Lake Township weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Pine Lake Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Hinckley, MN. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet days30-yr range
January20°1°0.8"7.3"8−2° – 25°
February26°5°0.8"7.7"74° – 30°
March39°18°1.5"7.7"719° – 41°
April53°30°2.6"3.7"1032° – 49°
May66°42°3.6"0.1"1249° – 60°
June75°51°4.5"0.0"1360° – 67°
July80°57°4.5"0.0"1162° – 73°
August78°55°3.9"0.0"1060° – 69°
September69°47°3.3"0.0"1051° – 63°
October55°35°3.0"0.7"1137° – 50°
November39°22°1.6"8.8"721° – 41°
December25°9°1.1"8.8"85° – 27°
Year52°31°31.1"44.8"112
Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -2° to 25°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Pine Lake 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 Pine Lake Township’s center.
  • Snow: Hinckley, MN.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Sandstone 6 W, MN, 4 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 Pine Lake Township’s climate

What is the weather like in Pine Lake Township?

A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 1°, and about 45 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 69 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 93% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Pine Lake Township in winter?

January nights average 1°. About 177 nights a year reach 32° or below and 39 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −2°.

How much snow does Pine Lake Township get?

About 45 inches in a normal winter at Hinckley, MN, heaviest from November through December, about 9 inches a month.

How hot does it get in Pine Lake Township?

July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 57°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Sandstone 6 W, MN).

When is the first and last frost in Pine Lake Township?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 13 and the first fall frost by September 29, about 137 frost-free days, at Sandstone 6 W, MN.

What growing zone is Pine Lake Township 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 Pine Lake 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 Pine Lake Township getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 84% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Pine Lake Township.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.