Photo: Jonathunder · CC BY-SA 3.0Preston has some of the coldest winter nights among U.S. towns
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 82° on average. A year here swings 75° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 84% of U.S. towns. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from October to April, which average under 50°.
A year in Preston at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Preston’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Preston’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Preston feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 136 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 14 and the first by September 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Preston, MN, 0.4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Preston’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 42 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Preston, MN, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 36 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 119 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Preston
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 Preston, MN.
Living with Preston’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
136 frost-free days in zone 4b. 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 28.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 1.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Preston from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (77%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Preston and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Preston in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Preston’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preston, MN | 7° | 82° | 36" | 42" |
| Beaver Dam, WI | 10° | 82° | 35" | 43" |
| Plattsburgh, NY | 9° | 81° | 35" | 50" |
| Colchester, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 50" |
| Spirit Lake, IA | 7° | 83° | 31" | 42" |
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 Preston averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.8°).
A smaller shift than in 85% 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 Preston compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Preston’s place among Minnesota’s.
Preston weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Preston’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Preston, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24° | 7° | 1.1" | 11.0" | 8 | 25 | 5° – 29° |
| February | 29° | 11° | 1.1" | 8.2" | 7 | 24 | 7° – 32° |
| March | 42° | 22° | 1.9" | 7.5" | 9 | 14 | 24° – 49° |
| April | 57° | 34° | 3.9" | 2.5" | 11 | 1 | 34° – 52° |
| May | 69° | 46° | 4.6" | 0.3" | 14 | 0 | 51° – 64° |
| June | 78° | 56° | 5.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| July | 82° | 60° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 64° – 77° |
| August | 79° | 57° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 74° |
| September | 72° | 49° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| October | 59° | 37° | 2.7" | 0.3" | 10 | 0 | 41° – 54° |
| November | 43° | 25° | 1.9" | 2.6" | 7 | 4 | 25° – 46° |
| December | 29° | 14° | 1.3" | 9.8" | 9 | 19 | 7° – 31° |
| Year | 55° | 35° | 36.4" | 42.2" | 119 | 88 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 24° to 49°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Preston’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 Preston’s center.
- Snow: Preston, MN (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Preston, MN, 0.4 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 Preston’s climate
What is the weather like in Preston?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 7°, and about 42 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 97% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 84% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Preston in winter?
January nights average 7°. About 166 nights a year reach 32° or below and 27 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 5°.
How much snow does Preston get?
About 42 inches in a normal winter at Preston, MN, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 88 days a year.
How hot does it get in Preston?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 60°. About 8 days a year reach 90° (Preston, MN).
When is the first and last frost in Preston?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 14 and the first fall frost by September 28, about 136 frost-free days, at Preston, MN.
What growing zone is Preston 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 Preston?
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 Preston getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 85% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Preston.
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.