Crookston has colder winter nights than 91% of U.S. towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 88°. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 88% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.2° above 1901–2000. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 6 to October 4.
A year in Crookston at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Crookston’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Crookston’s place in Nebraska beside it.
What a year in Crookston feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 149 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 6 and the first by October 4. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Valentine Miller Fld, NE, 11 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Valentine #1, NE, 11 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Crookston’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −18°. 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 29 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Valentine #1, NE, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 22 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 66 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Crookston
88% 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 Valentine #1, NE.
Living with Crookston’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
149 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 6 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 4.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Crookston from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (29%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 32%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Crookston and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Crookston yet.
Climates most like Crookston’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crookston, NE | 12° | 88° | 22" | 29" |
| Belle Fourche, SD | 13° | 88° | 19" | 42" |
| Lockwood, MT | 15° | 88° | 15" | 35" |
| Providence, UT | 15° | 89° | 19" | 44" |
| Sheridan, WY | 11° | 89° | 15" | 33" |
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 Crookston averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.6°).
A smaller shift than in 62% 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 Crookston compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Crookston’s place among Nebraska’s.
Crookston weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Crookston’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Valentine #1, NE. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 12° | 0.4" | 3.9" | 3 | 11 | 16° – 37° |
| February | 39° | 15° | 0.6" | 6.7" | 5 | 8 | 13° – 37° |
| March | 49° | 24° | 1.2" | 4.7" | 6 | 4 | 25° – 49° |
| April | 59° | 33° | 2.6" | 5.3" | 7 | 2 | 38° – 51° |
| May | 69° | 43° | 3.6" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 52° – 62° |
| June | 80° | 54° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 62° – 73° |
| July | 88° | 60° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 65° – 81° |
| August | 86° | 58° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 65° – 76° |
| September | 77° | 48° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 57° – 69° |
| October | 62° | 35° | 1.6" | 0.8" | 5 | 0 | 40° – 55° |
| November | 48° | 23° | 0.7" | 2.6" | 4 | 2 | 25° – 45° |
| December | 37° | 15° | 0.6" | 4.6" | 3 | 10 | 17° – 33° |
| Year | 61° | 35° | 22.1" | 28.7" | 66 | 36 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 25° to 49°. August is the most reliable, staying within 11°.
Where Crookston’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 Crookston’s center.
- Snow: Valentine #1, NE.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Valentine #1, NE, 11 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Valentine Miller Fld, NE, 11 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 Crookston’s climate
What is the weather like in Crookston?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 29 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 65% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Crookston in winter?
January nights average 12°. About 172 nights a year reach 32° or below and 18 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 16°.
How much snow does Crookston get?
About 29 inches in a normal winter at Valentine #1, NE, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 36 days a year.
How hot does it get in Crookston?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 60°. About 41 days a year reach 90° and 7 reach 100° (Valentine #1, NE).
When is the first and last frost in Crookston?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 6 and the first fall frost by October 4, about 149 frost-free days, at Valentine #1, NE.
What growing zone is Crookston in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −18°.
What is the best time of year to visit Crookston?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Crookston getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 62% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Crookston.
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.