Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Sioux Valley Township
Midsummer highs settle at about 83°. The year swings widely: the coldest month’s nights and the warmest month’s afternoons are 77° apart. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 85% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about April 30; in half of years the first frost comes by October 10.
A year in Sioux Valley Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Sioux Valley Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Sioux Valley Township’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Sioux Valley Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 164 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Lake Park, IA, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Sioux Valley Township’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −19°. 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 41 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Lake Park, IA, falls mostly in January, February and 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 92 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Sioux Valley Township
90% 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 Lake Park, IA.
Living with Sioux Valley Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
164 frost-free days in zone 5a. 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 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Sioux Valley Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (46%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 27%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Sioux Valley Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Sioux Valley Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Sioux Valley 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sioux Valley Township, MN | 6° | 83° | 31" | 41" |
| Hudson, WI | 6° | 82° | 33" | 50" |
| Cedar Falls, IA | 9° | 83° | 37" | 39" |
| Plattsburgh, NY | 9° | 81° | 35" | 50" |
| Wahpeton, ND | 1° | 82° | 25" | 50" |
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 Sioux Valley Township averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 82% 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 Sioux Valley Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Sioux Valley Township’s place among Minnesota’s.
Sioux Valley Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Sioux Valley Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Lake Park, IA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24° | 6° | 0.7" | 8.4" | 5 | 28 | 4° – 27° |
| February | 28° | 10° | 0.8" | 8.7" | 5 | 22 | 8° – 31° |
| March | 41° | 23° | 1.6" | 6.3" | 6 | 11 | 24° – 48° |
| April | 56° | 34° | 3.2" | 3.4" | 10 | 2 | 34° – 53° |
| May | 69° | 46° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| June | 79° | 58° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| July | 83° | 61° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 64° – 78° |
| August | 80° | 58° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| September | 74° | 50° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 55° – 67° |
| October | 59° | 37° | 2.4" | 0.6" | 7 | 0 | 41° – 53° |
| November | 42° | 24° | 1.4" | 4.4" | 5 | 3 | 23° – 45° |
| December | 29° | 12° | 0.9" | 9.2" | 5 | 19 | 6° – 27° |
| Year | 55° | 35° | 30.7" | 41.0" | 92 | 84 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 24° to 48°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Sioux Valley 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 Sioux Valley Township’s center.
- Snow: Lake Park, IA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lake Park, IA, 8 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 Sioux Valley Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Sioux Valley Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 6°, and about 41 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 97% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 73% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Sioux Valley Township in winter?
January nights average 6°. About 161 nights a year reach 32° or below and 29 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 4°.
How much snow does Sioux Valley Township get?
About 41 inches in a normal winter at Lake Park, IA, most of it in January, February and December, with snow on the ground about 84 days a year.
How hot does it get in Sioux Valley Township?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 61°. About 22 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Lake Park, IA).
When is the first and last frost in Sioux Valley Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 10, about 164 frost-free days, at Lake Park, IA.
What growing zone is Sioux Valley Township in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −19°.
What is the best time of year to visit Sioux Valley 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 Sioux Valley Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 82% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Sioux Valley 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.