Watkins has some of the coldest winter nights among U.S. towns
July afternoons average 81°. June is the wettest month here, with about 6.0 times the rain of January. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 86% of U.S. towns. Radiators earn their keep from October to April, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Watkins at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Watkins’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Watkins’ place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Watkins feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 156 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 2 and the first by October 5. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Kimball 3n, MN, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Watkins’ center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −22°. 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 57 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Collegeville St John's, MN, falls mostly in January, February, March and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 29 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 103 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Watkins
95% 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 Kimball 3n, MN.
Living with Watkins’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
156 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 2 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.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Watkins from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (52%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 17%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Watkins and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Watkins yet.
Climates most like Watkins’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watkins, MN | 4° | 81° | 29" | 57" |
| Kingsford, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
| Lafayette, WI | 5° | 81° | 33" | 55" |
| Fargo, ND | 0° | 82° | 24" | 51" |
| Spencer, IA | 7° | 84° | 31" | 43" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Watkins averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.5°).
A bigger shift than in 67% 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 Watkins compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Watkins’ place among Minnesota’s.
Watkins weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Watkins’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Collegeville St John's, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21° | 4° | 0.7" | 11.2" | 7 | 29 | 0° – 26° |
| February | 26° | 7° | 0.8" | 10.2" | 6 | 26 | 5° – 29° |
| March | 39° | 21° | 1.5" | 10.1" | 8 | 17 | 20° – 45° |
| April | 55° | 33° | 2.6" | 6.6" | 9 | 4 | 33° – 52° |
| May | 68° | 46° | 3.7" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| June | 77° | 56° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 63° – 70° |
| July | 81° | 61° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 64° – 77° |
| August | 79° | 58° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| September | 71° | 50° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 53° – 66° |
| October | 57° | 37° | 2.4" | 0.7" | 9 | 0 | 39° – 52° |
| November | 40° | 23° | 1.4" | 8.0" | 7 | 8 | 22° – 43° |
| December | 26° | 11° | 0.9" | 10.5" | 7 | 22 | 4° – 26° |
| Year | 53° | 34° | 29.3" | 57.4" | 103 | 106 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 0° to 26°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Watkins’ 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 Watkins’ center.
- Snow: Collegeville St John's, MN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Kimball 3n, MN, 6 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 Watkins’ climate
What is the weather like in Watkins?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 4°, and about 57 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 142 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 85% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Watkins in winter?
January nights average 4°. About 168 nights a year reach 32° or below and 37 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 0°.
How much snow does Watkins get?
About 57 inches in a normal winter at Collegeville St John's, MN, most of it in January, February, March and December, with snow on the ground about 106 days a year.
How hot does it get in Watkins?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 61°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Kimball 3n, MN).
When is the first and last frost in Watkins?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 2 and the first fall frost by October 5, about 156 frost-free days, at Kimball 3n, MN.
What growing zone is Watkins in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −22°.
What is the best time of year to visit Watkins?
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 Watkins getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 67% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Watkins.
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.