Breckenridge, Minnesota climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Breckenridge's normal year runs from −1°F January nights to 83°F July afternoons. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 5.6°C, January lows of −18°C, July highs of 28°C.
- NOAA stationBreckenridge (3 mi E)
- Station IDUSC00210974
- Location46.30°N 96.52°W
- Elevation971 ft (296 m)
- From the center4 miles
- Population3,308
On October 24, the normal high in Breckenridge is 52°F and the normal low 30°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Breckenridge.
- Jan 19° -1°
- Feb 23° 2°
- Mar 37° 17°
- Apr 54° 31°
- May 68° 45°
- Jun 77° 56°
- Jul 83° 60°
- Aug 81° 57°
- Sep 73° 48°
- Oct 57° 34°
- Nov 39° 20°
- Dec 24° 7°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
What is the weather like in Breckenridge each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 83°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of −1°F.
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 19°F | −1°F | 8.8°F | – | <1 | 31 | 9 h |
| February | 23°F | 2°F | 12.7°F | – | <1 | 28 | 10 h 20 min |
| March | 37°F | 17°F | 26.9°F | – | <1 | 28 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 54°F | 31°F | 42.5°F | – | <1 | 18 | 13 h 30 min |
| May | 68°F | 45°F | 56.3°F | – | 1 | 3 | 15 h |
| June | 77°F | 56°F | 66.8°F | – | 2 | <1 | 15 h 50 min |
| July | 83°F | 60°F | 71.1°F | – | 4 | <1 | 15 h 30 min |
| August | 81°F | 57°F | 68.9°F | – | 2 | <1 | 14 h 10 min |
| September | 73°F | 48°F | 60.3°F | – | 1 | 1 | 12 h 40 min |
| October | 57°F | 34°F | 45.8°F | – | <1 | 13 | 11 h |
| November | 39°F | 20°F | 29.6°F | – | <1 | 26 | 9 h 30 min |
| December | 24°F | 7°F | 15.8°F | – | <1 | 31 | 8 h 40 min |
| Year (annual) | 53°F | 31°F | 42.1°F | – | 9 | 178 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | −7°C | −18°C | −12.9°C |
| February | −5°C | −16°C | −10.7°C |
| March | 3°C | −8°C | −2.8°C |
| April | 12°C | −1°C | 5.8°C |
| May | 20°C | 7°C | 13.5°C |
| June | 25°C | 13°C | 19.3°C |
| July | 28°C | 15°C | 21.7°C |
| August | 27°C | 14°C | 20.5°C |
| September | 23°C | 9°C | 15.7°C |
| October | 14°C | 1°C | 7.7°C |
| November | 4°C | −7°C | −1.3°C |
| December | −4°C | −14°C | −9.0°C |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Rothsay (17 miles away), gets 50 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00210974; annual normals. Wet days: 0.01 inch or more; 90°F days and freezing nights: NOAA's day counts. Daylight: sunrise to sunset on the 15th, computed from the latitude.
When is the best weather to visit Breckenridge?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in May, June, July, August and September.
That is a measurement, not a recommendation: it counts the months whose normal afternoon high sits between 65°F and 85°F, where a light layer is enough by day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00210974.
When is the last frost in Breckenridge?
In Breckenridge, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after May 4 in half of years and after May 17 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 3 in half of years and before September 21 in one year in ten.
Frost-free in half of yearsFrost in 1 to 9 years out of 10Frost most years
- Last spring frost, half of years after
- May 41 year in 10 after May 17; 9 in 10 after April 21
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 31 year in 10 before September 21; 9 in 10 before October 18
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 152 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 171 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after April 24 in half of springs and before October 14 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Breckenridge in zone 4a in ZIP code 58076, the nearest ZIP area.
Frost dates for every NOAA station in Minnesota · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USC00210974; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026. A 10% date means one year in ten has a frost after it in spring or before it in autumn.
How hot and how cold does it get in Breckenridge?
In a normal year in Breckenridge, 9 days a year reach 90°F and 178 nights fall to 32°F or colder.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 9a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 178a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 92high of 32°F or less
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00210974.
How sunny is Breckenridge?
Over a year 76% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Breckenridge, 3.9 kWh per square metre a day. February is the sunniest month (83%) and December the cloudiest (66%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 79% | 1.8 |
| February | 83% | 3.0 |
| March | 75% | 3.9 |
| April | 73% | 4.9 |
| May | 71% | 5.6 |
| June | 75% | 6.2 |
| July | 82% | 6.5 |
| August | 81% | 5.4 |
| September | 77% | 4.1 |
| October | 69% | 2.6 |
| November | 67% | 1.6 |
| December | 66% | 1.2 |
Source: NASA POWER solar climatology, 2001-2020 (CERES SYN1deg). Satellite-based, for the 1-degree cell (about 100 km across) around the station, so it describes the area rather than the airport.
How much heating and cooling does Breckenridge need?
A normal year in Breckenridge brings 8,813 heating degree days, 64% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 514 cooling degree days, 43% fewer than the median (908). Seven months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 2,421 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,740 | 0 |
| February | 1,464 | 0 |
| March | 1,183 | 0 |
| April | 676 | 1 |
| May | 295 | 25 |
| June | 53 | 105 |
| July | 8 | 197 |
| August | 25 | 146 |
| September | 182 | 39 |
| October | 599 | 2 |
| November | 1,064 | 0 |
| December | 1,525 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 8,813 | 514 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00210974. A degree day is one degree of a day's mean temperature below 65°F (heating) or above it (cooling); utilities use them to estimate energy use.
How does Breckenridge's climate compare?
Breckenridge is warmer than 50 of the other 128 places with their own NOAA record in Minnesota. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 42.1°F is warmer than 10%.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers.
Which places near Breckenridge share this climate record?
8 places have no NOAA station with 1991-2020 normals of their own, and this station is the nearest full record. A place's own climate can differ from these figures, by several degrees where it sits much higher or lower than the station, nearer the coast, or inside a large city's heat; for the larger places the next nearest records are named with their yearly mean, so the spread around them is visible, and places of 50,000 or more have their own page with NOAA's gridded normals.
- Wahpeton, ND8,115 people · 5 mi SW
- Abercrombie, ND257 people · 14 mi NW
- Colfax, ND209 people · 20 mi NW
- Mooreton, ND178 people · 17 mi W
- Dwight, ND78 people · 10 mi W
- Kent, MN63 people · 12 mi NW
- Barney, ND45 people · 23 mi W
- Doran, MN30 people · 8 mi S
Source: Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer (place centers) and Vintage 2024 population estimates. Distance and direction from the station to each place's center.
Questions about Breckenridge's climate
What is the coldest month in Breckenridge?
January, with a normal high of 19°F and a normal low of −1°F. The warmest is July (83°F by day, 60°F at night).
Does it snow in Breckenridge?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for Breckenridge's NOAA station; the nearest record that keeps one, Rothsay (17 miles away), records 50 inches of snow in a normal year.
What plant hardiness zone is Breckenridge in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Breckenridge in zone 4a in ZIP code 58076, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come in Breckenridge?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after May 4; in one year in ten it comes after May 17. Waiting until May 17 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Minnesota climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Rothsay, MN17 miles from this station, 41.7°F a year
- Fergus Falls, MN19 miles from this station, 41.9°F a year
- Victor (4 mi N), SD30 miles from this station, 42.3°F a year
- White Rock Dam, MN30 miles from this station, 42.8°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made