Photo: Myotus · CC BY 4.0Silver Bay gets about 94 inches of snow a winter, more than 97% of U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 75°, a January night drops to 4°, and about 94 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Silver Bay at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Silver Bay’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Silver Bay’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Silver Bay 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 15 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Wolf Ridge Elc, MN, 11 miles from the town’s center, 430 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Silver Bay’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 94 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Wolf Ridge Elc, MN, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 30 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 129 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Silver Bay
98% 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 Wolf Ridge Elc, MN.
Living with Silver Bay’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
137 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 15 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 26 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 47% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Silver Bay from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Silver Bay and its neighbors
Beaver Bay Township has the coldest January nights next door (0°, 4° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Silver Bay’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silver Bay, MN | 4° | 75° | 30" | 94" |
| Marquette, MI | 11° | 76° | 32" | 102" |
| Presque Isle, ME | 2° | 77° | 41" | 98" |
| Beekmantown, NY | 9° | 80° | 35" | 80" |
| Antigo, WI | 5° | 79° | 32" | 54" |
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 Silver Bay averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.4°).
A bigger shift than in 62% 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 Silver Bay compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Silver Bay’s place among Minnesota’s.
Silver Bay weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Silver Bay’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Wolf Ridge Elc, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21° | 4° | 1.1" | 24.0" | 10 | 31 | 0° – 25° |
| February | 25° | 6° | 1.0" | 15.5" | 8 | 29 | 4° – 31° |
| March | 36° | 16° | 1.4" | 12.1" | 9 | 29 | 17° – 38° |
| April | 47° | 27° | 2.5" | 8.5" | 9 | 16 | 30° – 44° |
| May | 59° | 38° | 3.1" | 0.4" | 12 | 1 | 44° – 54° |
| June | 69° | 47° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 54° – 63° |
| July | 75° | 54° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 59° – 70° |
| August | 74° | 54° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| September | 65° | 47° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| October | 52° | 35° | 3.1" | 1.5" | 11 | 1 | 37° – 48° |
| November | 37° | 24° | 2.0" | 10.0" | 10 | 14 | 21° – 40° |
| December | 26° | 11° | 1.6" | 22.2" | 10 | 30 | 6° – 27° |
| Year | 49° | 30° | 30.0" | 94.2" | 129 | 149 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 4° to 31°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Silver Bay’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 Silver Bay’s center.
- Snow: Wolf Ridge Elc, MN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Wolf Ridge Elc, MN, 11 miles from the town’s center, 430 ft higher; 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 Silver Bay’s climate
What is the weather like in Silver Bay?
A typical July afternoon reaches 75°, a January night drops to 4°, and about 94 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 165 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Silver Bay in winter?
January nights average 4°. About 187 nights a year reach 32° or below and 42 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 0°.
How much snow does Silver Bay get?
About 94 inches in a normal winter at Wolf Ridge Elc, MN, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 149 days a year.
How hot does it get in Silver Bay?
July, with a typical high of 75° and a low of 54°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Wolf Ridge Elc, MN).
When is the first and last frost in Silver Bay?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 15 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 137 frost-free days, at Wolf Ridge Elc, MN.
What growing zone is Silver Bay 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 Silver Bay?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Silver Bay getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 62% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Silver Bay.
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.