Photo: McGhiever · CC BY-SA 3.0Sandstone has some of the coldest winter nights among U.S. towns
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 80° on average. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 92% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.9°, most of all in December. Comfortable outdoor weather lasts from May to September, with highs of 66–80°.
A year in Sandstone at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Sandstone’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Sandstone’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Sandstone feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
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, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Sandstone’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 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.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Sandstone
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.
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 with Sandstone’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
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.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 7.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 41% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Sandstone from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Sandstone and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Sandstone in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Sandstone’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sandstone, MN | 2° | 80° | 31" | 45" |
| Merrill, WI | 5° | 80° | 33" | 54" |
| Kingsford, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
| Watertown, SD | 2° | 81° | 25" | 41" |
| Estherville, IA | 7° | 82° | 31" | 38" |
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 Sandstone averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+4.3°).
A bigger shift than in 86% 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 Sandstone compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Sandstone’s place among Minnesota’s.
Sandstone weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Sandstone’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Hinckley, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21° | 2° | 0.8" | 7.3" | 8 | −1° – 25° |
| February | 26° | 5° | 0.8" | 7.7" | 7 | 5° – 30° |
| March | 39° | 18° | 1.5" | 7.7" | 7 | 19° – 41° |
| April | 53° | 30° | 2.7" | 3.7" | 10 | 33° – 49° |
| May | 66° | 42° | 3.6" | 0.1" | 12 | 48° – 60° |
| June | 75° | 51° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 60° – 67° |
| July | 80° | 57° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 62° – 74° |
| August | 78° | 55° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 61° – 70° |
| September | 69° | 47° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 51° – 63° |
| October | 55° | 35° | 3.1" | 0.7" | 11 | 37° – 50° |
| November | 39° | 23° | 1.6" | 8.8" | 7 | 22° – 41° |
| December | 25° | 10° | 1.1" | 8.8" | 8 | 5° – 27° |
| Year | 52° | 31° | 31.3" | 44.8" | 112 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -1° to 25°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Sandstone’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 Sandstone’s center.
- Snow: Hinckley, MN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Sandstone 6 W, MN, 6 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 Sandstone’s climate
What is the weather like in Sandstone?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 2°, and about 45 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 74 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 92% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Sandstone in winter?
January nights average 2°. 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 −1°.
How much snow does Sandstone 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 Sandstone?
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 Sandstone?
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 Sandstone 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 Sandstone?
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 Sandstone getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 86% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Sandstone.
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.