Stony River Township has some of the coldest winter nights among U.S. towns
Expect July afternoons of about 76°. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 98% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.8°, most of all in December. Homes need heating from October to May, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Stony River Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Stony River Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Stony River Township’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Stony River Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 104 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 31 and the first by September 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Isabella 14w, MN, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Stony River Township’s center in zone 3b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −31°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 77 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Ely 25e, 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 125 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Stony River Township
99% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from September 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 Isabella 14w, MN.
Living with Stony River Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
104 frost-free days in zone 3b. The last frost comes by May 31 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 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 500 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Stony River Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (55%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 29%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Stony River Township and its neighbors
Babbitt the hottest July afternoons (78°, 1° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Stony River 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stony River Township, MN | −4° | 76° | 30" | 77" |
| Rhinelander, WI | 3° | 78° | 33" | 82" |
| Presque Isle, ME | 2° | 77° | 41" | 98" |
| Kingsford, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
| Grand Forks, ND | −2° | 81° | 22" | 49" |
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 River Township averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.7°).
A bigger shift than in 81% 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 River Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Stony River Township’s place among Minnesota’s.
Stony River Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Stony River Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ely 25e, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 16° | −4° | 1.1" | 15.7" | 9 | −7° – 20° |
| February | 23° | −1° | 1.1" | 14.1" | 8 | −2° – 27° |
| March | 35° | 11° | 1.2" | 7.9" | 7 | 13° – 36° |
| April | 48° | 25° | 2.2" | 9.8" | 9 | 29° – 44° |
| May | 63° | 37° | 3.2" | 0.4" | 13 | 45° – 56° |
| June | 72° | 47° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 15 | 55° – 65° |
| July | 76° | 52° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 57° – 69° |
| August | 75° | 51° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 57° – 66° |
| September | 65° | 43° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 47° – 60° |
| October | 50° | 32° | 3.0" | 1.9" | 12 | 35° – 45° |
| November | 34° | 19° | 1.8" | 9.9" | 9 | 16° – 36° |
| December | 21° | 4° | 1.6" | 17.2" | 9 | −1° – 22° |
| Year | 48° | 26° | 30.3" | 76.9" | 125 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -2° to 27°. August is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Stony River 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 River Township’s center.
- Snow: Ely 25e, MN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Isabella 14w, MN, 9 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 Stony River Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Stony River Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 76°, a January night drops to −4°, and about 77 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 13 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Stony River Township in winter?
January nights average −4°. About 206 nights a year reach 32° or below and 57 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −7°.
How much snow does Stony River Township get?
About 77 inches in a normal winter at Ely 25e, MN, most of it in January and December.
How hot does it get in Stony River Township?
July, with a typical high of 76°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Isabella 14w, MN.
When is the first and last frost in Stony River Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 31 and the first fall frost by September 15, about 104 frost-free days, at Isabella 14w, MN.
What growing zone is Stony River Township in?
Zone 3b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −31°.
What is the best time of year to visit Stony River Township?
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 Stony River Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 81% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Stony River 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.