Hardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than Rutledge
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 80°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 93% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.8° rise. The heating season runs October to April: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Rutledge at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Rutledge’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Rutledge’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Rutledge feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 144 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 12 and the first by October 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Moose Lake 1 Sse, MN, 14 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Rutledge’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°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 64 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Bruno 7ene, MN, falls mostly in December. 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 120 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Rutledge
96% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Moose Lake 1 Sse, MN.
Living with Rutledge’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
144 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 12 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 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 2.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Rutledge 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 →Rutledge and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Rutledge in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Rutledge’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rutledge, MN | 1° | 80° | 31" | 64" |
| Kingsford, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
| Merrill, WI | 5° | 80° | 33" | 54" |
| Fargo, ND | 0° | 82° | 24" | 51" |
| Beekmantown, NY | 9° | 80° | 35" | 80" |
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 Rutledge averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+4.1°).
A bigger shift than in 80% 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 Rutledge compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Rutledge’s place among Minnesota’s.
Rutledge weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Rutledge’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bruno 7ene, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 20° | 1° | 0.8" | 10.6" | 9 | 30 | −2° – 25° |
| February | 26° | 5° | 0.8" | 11.2" | 7 | 28 | 5° – 30° |
| March | 39° | 17° | 1.5" | 10.2" | 8 | 24 | 19° – 41° |
| April | 53° | 30° | 2.6" | 5.7" | 10 | 5 | 32° – 49° |
| May | 66° | 41° | 3.5" | 0.5" | 12 | 0 | 48° – 60° |
| June | 75° | 51° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 59° – 66° |
| July | 80° | 57° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 61° – 73° |
| August | 78° | 54° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| September | 69° | 47° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 50° – 63° |
| October | 55° | 34° | 3.0" | 1.6" | 11 | 1 | 37° – 49° |
| November | 39° | 22° | 1.6" | 10.4" | 8 | 11 | 21° – 41° |
| December | 25° | 9° | 1.1" | 14.1" | 10 | 25 | 4° – 27° |
| Year | 52° | 31° | 31.0" | 64.3" | 120 | 124 |
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°.
Where Rutledge’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 Rutledge’s center.
- Snow: Bruno 7ene, MN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Moose Lake 1 Sse, 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 Rutledge’s climate
What is the weather like in Rutledge?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 1°, and about 64 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 65 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 93% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Rutledge in winter?
January nights average 1°. About 175 nights a year reach 32° or below and 38 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −2°.
How much snow does Rutledge get?
About 64 inches in a normal winter at Bruno 7ene, MN, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 124 days a year.
How hot does it get in Rutledge?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 57°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Moose Lake 1 Sse, MN).
When is the first and last frost in Rutledge?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 12 and the first fall frost by October 2, about 144 frost-free days, at Moose Lake 1 Sse, MN.
What growing zone is Rutledge 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 Rutledge?
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 Rutledge getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 80% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Rutledge.
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.