Williams sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 79° on average. Expect the heaviest rain or snow in June and the lightest in February. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 95% of U.S. towns. Homes need heating from October to April, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Williams at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Williams’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Williams’ place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Williams feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 132 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 15 and the first by September 26. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Baudette International Airport, 16 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Williams’ center in zone 3b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −34°. 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 46 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Camp Norris Dnr, MN, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 25 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 100 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Williams
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 Baudette International Airport.
Living with Williams’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
132 frost-free days in zone 3b. The last frost comes by May 15 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 26.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Williams from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (83%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Williams and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Williams yet.
Climates most like Williams’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Williams, MN | −5° | 79° | 25" | 46" |
| Fargo, ND | 0° | 82° | 24" | 51" |
| Watertown, SD | 2° | 81° | 25" | 41" |
| Kingsford, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
| Rice Lake, WI | 3° | 80° | 33" | 53" |
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 Williams averaged 2.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.5°).
A bigger shift than in 93% 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 Williams compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Williams’ place among Minnesota’s.
Williams weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Williams’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Camp Norris Dnr, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 15° | −5° | 0.7" | 8.7" | 6 | 31 | −8° – 20° |
| February | 21° | −2° | 0.6" | 7.8" | 6 | 29 | 0° – 26° |
| March | 35° | 13° | 0.8" | 6.7" | 6 | 27 | 13° – 38° |
| April | 51° | 27° | 1.2" | 4.9" | 7 | 10 | 30° – 48° |
| May | 65° | 40° | 2.9" | 0.3" | 10 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| June | 74° | 51° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| July | 79° | 55° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| August | 77° | 53° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| September | 67° | 45° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 49° – 63° |
| October | 51° | 33° | 2.2" | 2.8" | 10 | 2 | 33° – 48° |
| November | 34° | 18° | 1.1" | 4.2" | 6 | 14 | 15° – 38° |
| December | 20° | 3° | 0.8" | 10.5" | 8 | 30 | −4° – 21° |
| Year | 49° | 28° | 24.5" | 45.9" | 100 | 144 |
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 20°. August is the most reliable, staying within 11°.
Where Williams’ 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 Williams’ center.
- Snow: Camp Norris Dnr, MN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Baudette International Airport, 16 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 Williams’ climate
What is the weather like in Williams?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to −5°, and about 46 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 10 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Williams in winter?
January nights average −5°. About 186 nights a year reach 32° or below and 55 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −8°.
How much snow does Williams get?
About 46 inches in a normal winter at Camp Norris Dnr, MN, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 144 days a year.
How hot does it get in Williams?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 55°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Baudette International Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Williams?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 15 and the first fall frost by September 26, about 132 frost-free days, at Baudette International Airport.
What growing zone is Williams in?
Zone 3b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −34°.
What is the best time of year to visit Williams?
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 Williams getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 93% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Williams.
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.