Stony Brook Township sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
July afternoons average 81°. Seasons differ by 80°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 87% of U.S. towns. Homes need heating from October to April, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Stony Brook Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Stony Brook Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Stony Brook Township’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Stony Brook Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 152 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 4 and the first by October 5. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Fergus Falls, MN, 16 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Stony Brook Township’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −25°. 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 26 inches of rain a year
June is the wettest month and February the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Stony Brook Township
94% 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 Fergus Falls, MN.
Living with Stony Brook Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
152 frost-free days in zone 4a. 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 5.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 2.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Stony Brook Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (41%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 33%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Stony Brook Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Stony Brook Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
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 Stony Brook Township averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.4°).
A bigger shift than in 52% 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 Stony Brook Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Stony Brook Township’s place among Minnesota’s.
Stony Brook Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Stony Brook Township’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 19° | 1° | 0.7" | −4° – 24° |
| February | 24° | 5° | 0.7" | 3° – 27° |
| March | 37° | 19° | 1.1" | 18° – 42° |
| April | 54° | 32° | 2.0" | 33° – 52° |
| May | 68° | 45° | 3.0" | 52° – 64° |
| June | 77° | 56° | 4.2" | 62° – 71° |
| July | 81° | 60° | 4.1" | 63° – 76° |
| August | 80° | 57° | 3.1" | 61° – 72° |
| September | 72° | 49° | 2.8" | 53° – 66° |
| October | 56° | 36° | 2.5" | 38° – 51° |
| November | 39° | 22° | 0.9" | 19° – 42° |
| December | 25° | 8° | 0.8" | 2° – 25° |
| Year | 53° | 32° | 25.8" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -4° to 24°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Stony Brook 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 Stony Brook Township’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Fergus Falls, MN, 16 miles from the town’s center, 110 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 Stony Brook Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Stony Brook Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 1°. Colder January nights than all but 63 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 86% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Stony Brook Township in winter?
January nights average 1°. About 174 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 −4°.
How hot does it get in Stony Brook Township?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 60°. About 8 days a year reach 90° (Fergus Falls, MN).
When is the first and last frost in Stony Brook Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 4 and the first fall frost by October 5, about 152 frost-free days, at Fergus Falls, MN.
What growing zone is Stony Brook Township in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −25°.
What is the best time of year to visit Stony Brook 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 Stony Brook Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Stony Brook 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.