Rolling Forks Township has some of the coldest winter nights among U.S. towns
Expect July afternoons of about 81°. Winter and summer sit 78° apart. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in 87% of U.S. towns. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from October to April, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Rolling Forks Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Rolling Forks Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Rolling Forks Township’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Rolling Forks Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 151 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 4 and the first by October 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Benson, MN, 13 miles from the town’s center, 210 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Rolling Forks Township’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −23°. 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 Glenwood 2wnw, MN, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 28 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 97 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Rolling Forks Township
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 Benson, MN.
Living with Rolling Forks Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
151 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 4 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. 1.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Rolling Forks Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (58%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 20%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Rolling Forks Township and its neighbors
Camp Lake Township the hottest July afternoons (82°, 1° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Rolling Forks 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rolling Forks Township, MN | 3° | 81° | 28" | 46" |
| Rice Lake, WI | 3° | 80° | 33" | 53" |
| Kingsford, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
| Grand Forks, ND | −2° | 81° | 22" | 49" |
| Sheldon, IA | 7° | 84° | 30" | 41" |
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 Rolling Forks Township averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.6°).
A bigger shift than in 67% 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 Rolling Forks Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Rolling Forks Township’s place among Minnesota’s.
Rolling Forks Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Rolling Forks Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Glenwood 2wnw, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 20° | 3° | 0.7" | 10.6" | 6 | −2° – 24° |
| February | 25° | 6° | 0.7" | 8.9" | 5 | 4° – 28° |
| March | 38° | 20° | 1.3" | 7.6" | 6 | 19° – 42° |
| April | 54° | 33° | 2.3" | 2.9" | 9 | 34° – 52° |
| May | 68° | 45° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 52° – 64° |
| June | 77° | 56° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 61° – 71° |
| July | 81° | 60° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 63° – 76° |
| August | 79° | 58° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 62° – 72° |
| September | 71° | 49° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 53° – 66° |
| October | 56° | 36° | 2.5" | 0.6" | 9 | 38° – 51° |
| November | 39° | 22° | 1.2" | 5.3" | 6 | 20° – 42° |
| December | 25° | 10° | 0.8" | 10.4" | 7 | 2° – 25° |
| Year | 53° | 33° | 27.7" | 46.3" | 97 |
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 24°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Rolling Forks 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 Rolling Forks Township’s center.
- Snow: Glenwood 2wnw, MN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Benson, MN, 13 miles from the town’s center, 210 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 Rolling Forks Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Rolling Forks Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 3°, and about 46 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 99 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 87% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Rolling Forks Township in winter?
January nights average 3°. About 168 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 −2°.
How much snow does Rolling Forks Township get?
About 46 inches in a normal winter at Glenwood 2wnw, MN, most of it in January and December.
How hot does it get in Rolling Forks Township?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 60°. About 12 days a year reach 90° (Benson, MN).
When is the first and last frost in Rolling Forks Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 4 and the first fall frost by October 3, about 151 frost-free days, at Benson, MN.
What growing zone is Rolling Forks Township in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −23°.
What is the best time of year to visit Rolling Forks 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 Rolling Forks Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 67% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Rolling Forks 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.