First National Bank · Photo: Elkman · CC BY-SA 3.0Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Winnebago
Midsummer highs settle at about 83°. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 82% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 0.7° above 1901–2000. Garden planting can start around April 27; autumn frost returns near October 10.
A year in Winnebago at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Winnebago’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Winnebago’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Winnebago feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 166 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 27 and the first by October 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Winnebago, MN, 0.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Winnebago’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −19°. 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 47 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Winnebago, MN, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 33 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 109 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Winnebago
92% 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 Winnebago, MN.
Living with Winnebago’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
166 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by Apr 27 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 10.
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 Winnebago from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (33%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 20%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Winnebago and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Winnebago in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Winnebago’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winnebago, MN | 7° | 83° | 33" | 47" |
| Saratoga, WI | 7° | 82° | 34" | 48" |
| Plattsburgh, NY | 9° | 81° | 35" | 50" |
| Colchester, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 50" |
| Manchester, IA | 9° | 83° | 38" | 35" |
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 Winnebago averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 95% 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 Winnebago compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Winnebago’s place among Minnesota’s.
Winnebago weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Winnebago’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Winnebago, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 23° | 7° | 0.8" | 10.4" | 8 | 27 | 4° – 27° |
| February | 28° | 11° | 0.9" | 9.1" | 7 | 21 | 8° – 31° |
| March | 41° | 23° | 1.8" | 7.3" | 8 | 13 | 25° – 48° |
| April | 57° | 35° | 3.3" | 4.1" | 11 | 2 | 34° – 54° |
| May | 69° | 48° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 52° – 66° |
| June | 80° | 59° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| July | 83° | 62° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 65° – 78° |
| August | 80° | 59° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| September | 74° | 51° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 55° – 67° |
| October | 60° | 38° | 2.5" | 0.4" | 9 | 0 | 42° – 54° |
| November | 43° | 25° | 1.5" | 5.4" | 7 | 6 | 23° – 45° |
| December | 29° | 13° | 1.2" | 10.5" | 8 | 22 | 5° – 28° |
| Year | 55° | 36° | 32.8" | 47.2" | 109 | 92 |
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 27°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Winnebago’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 Winnebago’s center.
- Snow: Winnebago, MN (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Winnebago, MN, 0.2 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 Winnebago’s climate
What is the weather like in Winnebago?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 7°, and about 47 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 97% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 76% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Winnebago in winter?
January nights average 7°. About 159 nights a year reach 32° or below and 29 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 4°.
How much snow does Winnebago get?
About 47 inches in a normal winter at Winnebago, MN, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 92 days a year.
How hot does it get in Winnebago?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 62°. About 10 days a year reach 90° (Winnebago, MN).
When is the first and last frost in Winnebago?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 27 and the first fall frost by October 10, about 166 frost-free days, at Winnebago, MN.
What growing zone is Winnebago in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −19°.
What is the best time of year to visit Winnebago?
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 Winnebago getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 95% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Winnebago.
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.