Photo: Deanlaw · CC BY-SA 3.0Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Prinsburg
Sunny July days climb to about 82°. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 86% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.3° rise. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about April 30, with the first autumn frost due around October 7.
A year in Prinsburg at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Prinsburg’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Prinsburg’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Prinsburg 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 April 30 and the first by October 7. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Willmar Wwtp, MN, 14 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Prinsburg’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 46 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Willmar Wwtp, MN, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 29 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 98 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Prinsburg
93% 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 Willmar Wwtp, MN.
Living with Prinsburg’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 Apr 30 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 7.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Prinsburg from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (37%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 24%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Prinsburg and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Prinsburg yet.
Climates most like Prinsburg’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prinsburg, MN | 4° | 82° | 29" | 46" |
| Menomonie, WI | 5° | 82° | 34" | 41" |
| Cherokee, IA | 8° | 84° | 31" | 38" |
| Fargo, ND | 0° | 82° | 24" | 51" |
| Iron Mountain, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
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 Prinsburg averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.3°).
A smaller shift than in 57% 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 Prinsburg compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Prinsburg’s place among Minnesota’s.
Prinsburg weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Prinsburg’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Willmar Wwtp, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22° | 4° | 0.7" | 9.2" | 6 | 1° – 25° |
| February | 27° | 8° | 0.8" | 7.8" | 5 | 6° – 30° |
| March | 39° | 21° | 1.5" | 6.9" | 7 | 20° – 45° |
| April | 56° | 34° | 2.6" | 3.8" | 8 | 34° – 53° |
| May | 69° | 46° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 53° – 64° |
| June | 79° | 57° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 63° – 72° |
| July | 82° | 61° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 64° – 77° |
| August | 80° | 58° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 64° – 73° |
| September | 73° | 50° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 54° – 67° |
| October | 58° | 37° | 2.4" | 0.5" | 9 | 40° – 52° |
| November | 41° | 23° | 1.3" | 7.8" | 6 | 22° – 43° |
| December | 27° | 11° | 0.9" | 10.1" | 7 | 4° – 26° |
| Year | 54° | 34° | 29.4" | 46.1" | 98 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 20° to 45°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Prinsburg’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 Prinsburg’s center.
- Snow: Willmar Wwtp, MN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Willmar Wwtp, MN, 14 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 Prinsburg’s climate
What is the weather like in Prinsburg?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 4°, and about 46 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 169 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 77% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Prinsburg in winter?
January nights average 4°. About 166 nights a year reach 32° or below and 36 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 1°.
How much snow does Prinsburg get?
About 46 inches in a normal winter at Willmar Wwtp, MN, most of it in January and December.
How hot does it get in Prinsburg?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 61°. About 8 days a year reach 90° (Willmar Wwtp, MN).
When is the first and last frost in Prinsburg?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 7, about 159 frost-free days, at Willmar Wwtp, MN.
What growing zone is Prinsburg 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 Prinsburg?
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 Prinsburg getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 57% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Prinsburg.
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.