Thief Lake Township sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
July afternoons average 79°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 84°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 95% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around May 20; autumn frost returns near September 17.
A year in Thief Lake Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Thief Lake Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Thief Lake Township’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Thief Lake Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 118 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 20 and the first by September 17. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Goodridge 12 Nnw, MN, 12 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Thief Lake 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°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 23 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 Thief Lake Township
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 Goodridge 12 Nnw, MN.
Living with Thief Lake Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
118 frost-free days in zone 3b. The last frost comes by May 20 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 17.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 12 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Thief Lake Township from natural hazards, drought is the largest share (35%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 17%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Thief Lake Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Thief Lake 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 Thief Lake Township averaged 2.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.5°).
A bigger shift than in 92% 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 Thief Lake Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Thief Lake Township’s place among Minnesota’s.
Thief Lake Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Thief Lake Township’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 14° | −5° | 0.6" | −8° – 21° |
| February | 21° | 0° | 0.6" | −1° – 26° |
| March | 35° | 14° | 0.7" | 13° – 37° |
| April | 51° | 28° | 1.3" | 30° – 49° |
| May | 66° | 41° | 2.9" | 47° – 60° |
| June | 75° | 51° | 3.9" | 58° – 69° |
| July | 79° | 56° | 3.6" | 61° – 72° |
| August | 78° | 53° | 3.0" | 58° – 69° |
| September | 68° | 45° | 2.8" | 51° – 63° |
| October | 52° | 33° | 1.9" | 33° – 48° |
| November | 34° | 18° | 1.0" | 15° – 39° |
| December | 20° | 4° | 0.9" | −3° – 22° |
| Year | 49° | 28° | 23.2" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -8° to 21°. August is the most reliable, staying within 11°.
Where Thief Lake 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 Thief Lake Township’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Goodridge 12 Nnw, MN, 12 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 Thief Lake Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Thief Lake Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to −5°. Colder January nights than all but 13 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Thief Lake Township in winter?
January nights average −5°. About 194 nights a year reach 32° or below and 58 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −8°.
How hot does it get in Thief Lake Township?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 56°. About 1 days a year reach 90° (Goodridge 12 Nnw, MN).
When is the first and last frost in Thief Lake Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 20 and the first fall frost by September 17, about 118 frost-free days, at Goodridge 12 Nnw, MN.
What growing zone is Thief Lake 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 Thief Lake 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 Thief Lake Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 92% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Thief Lake 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.