Cook, Minnesota climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Cook's normal year runs from −5°F January nights to 77°F July afternoons, with 27.7 inches of precipitation and 61 inches of snow a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 3.3°C, January lows of −20°C, July highs of 25°C, 703 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationCook (8 mi NE)
- Station IDUSC00211771
- Location47.89°N 92.53°W
- Elevation1,355 ft (413 m)
- Population520
On October 22, the normal high in Cook is 47°F and the normal low 32°F, and the chance of measurable rain or snow is 50%.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Cook.
- Jan 15° -5°
- Feb 21° -2°
- Mar 35° 11°
- Apr 48° 26°
- May 63° 40°
- Jun 72° 51°
- Jul 77° 56°
- Aug 75° 54°
- Sep 65° 46°
- Oct 50° 34°
- Nov 34° 20°
- Dec 21° 5°
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 Cook each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 77°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of −5°F. The most precipitation falls in July (4.50 in), the least in February (0.72 in).
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Snow | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 15°F | −5°F | 5.2°F | 1.10 | 12.7 | 13 | <1 | 31 | 8 h 50 min |
| February | 21°F | −2°F | 9.5°F | 0.72 | 8.5 | 9 | <1 | 28 | 10 h 10 min |
| March | 35°F | 11°F | 22.8°F | 1.06 | 6.0 | 10 | <1 | 29 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 48°F | 26°F | 37.2°F | 1.78 | 4.7 | 11 | <1 | 23 | 13 h 40 min |
| May | 63°F | 40°F | 51.5°F | 2.73 | 0.3 | 15 | <1 | 6 | 15 h 10 min |
| June | 72°F | 51°F | 61.6°F | 3.99 | 0.0 | 17 | 1 | <1 | 16 h |
| July | 77°F | 56°F | 66.3°F | 4.50 | 0.0 | 14 | 2 | <1 | 15 h 40 min |
| August | 75°F | 54°F | 64.5°F | 3.47 | 0.0 | 14 | 1 | <1 | 14 h 20 min |
| September | 65°F | 46°F | 55.4°F | 3.25 | 0.0 | 14 | <1 | 2 | 12 h 40 min |
| October | 50°F | 34°F | 42.0°F | 2.46 | 3.6 | 16 | <1 | 13 | 11 h |
| November | 34°F | 20°F | 27.2°F | 1.56 | 10.3 | 12 | <1 | 26 | 9 h 20 min |
| December | 21°F | 5°F | 12.6°F | 1.04 | 15.1 | 13 | <1 | 31 | 8 h 30 min |
| Year (annual) | 48°F | 28°F | 38.0°F | 27.66 | 61.2 | 157 | 3 | 188 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −9°C | −20°C | −14.9°C | 28 mm | 32 cm |
| February | −6°C | −19°C | −12.5°C | 18 mm | 22 cm |
| March | 1°C | −12°C | −5.1°C | 27 mm | 15 cm |
| April | 9°C | −3°C | 2.9°C | 45 mm | 12 cm |
| May | 17°C | 5°C | 10.8°C | 69 mm | 1 cm |
| June | 22°C | 11°C | 16.4°C | 101 mm | 0 cm |
| July | 25°C | 13°C | 19.1°C | 114 mm | 0 cm |
| August | 24°C | 12°C | 18.1°C | 88 mm | 0 cm |
| September | 18°C | 8°C | 13.0°C | 83 mm | 0 cm |
| October | 10°C | 1°C | 5.6°C | 62 mm | 9 cm |
| November | 1°C | −6°C | −2.7°C | 40 mm | 26 cm |
| December | −6°C | −15°C | −10.8°C | 26 mm | 38 cm |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00211771; 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 Cook?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in June, July, August and September. Of those, July has the fewest days with rain (14).
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 USC00211771.
When is the last frost in Cook?
In Cook, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after May 12 in half of years and after May 29 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 1 in half of years and before September 17 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 121 year in 10 after May 29; 9 in 10 after May 1
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 11 year in 10 before September 17; 9 in 10 before October 13
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 138 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 159 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after May 3 in half of springs and before October 11 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Cook in zone 3b in ZIP code 55703, 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 USC00211771; 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 Cook?
In a normal year in Cook, 3 days a year reach 90°F, 188 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 157 days bring measurable precipitation.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 3a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 188a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 105high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 157a normal year
- Days with 1 inch of snow or more
- 24a normal year
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00211771.
How sunny is Cook?
Over a year 71% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Cook, 3.6 kWh per square metre a day. July is the sunniest month (78%) and December the cloudiest (57%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 66% | 1.4 |
| February | 74% | 2.5 |
| March | 73% | 3.7 |
| April | 69% | 4.7 |
| May | 67% | 5.3 |
| June | 70% | 5.8 |
| July | 78% | 6.1 |
| August | 76% | 5.1 |
| September | 71% | 3.7 |
| October | 63% | 2.3 |
| November | 59% | 1.4 |
| December | 57% | 1.0 |
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 Cook need?
A normal year in Cook brings 10,016 heating degree days, 86% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 218 cooling degree days, 76% fewer than the median (908). Nine months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 1,695 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,854 | 0 |
| February | 1,554 | 0 |
| March | 1,307 | 0 |
| April | 834 | 0 |
| May | 423 | 6 |
| June | 139 | 38 |
| July | 52 | 94 |
| August | 79 | 65 |
| September | 302 | 15 |
| October | 713 | 0 |
| November | 1,136 | 0 |
| December | 1,624 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 10,016 | 218 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00211771. 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.
Has Cook been warmer than normal lately?
2025 averaged 38.6°F, 0.6°F above the 1991-2020 normal of 38.0°F. 3 of the 3 complete years since 2021 ran warmer than the normal.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 40.8°F | +2.8°F | 22.45 | 72.6 |
| 2023 | 40.3°F | +2.3°F | 23.49 | 65.7 |
| 2025 | 38.6°F | +0.6°F | 27.00 | 60.4 |
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USC00211771. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does Cook's climate compare?
Cook is warmer than 9 of the other 128 places with their own NOAA record in Minnesota, and wetter than 32. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 38.0°F is warmer than 3%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Cook is Dfb: continental, no dry season, warm summer. What the classes mean.
Places with the most similar year elsewhere
Measured month by month on the normal high, low and precipitation, among places of 20,000 or more people in other states:
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers. Similarity: the root-mean-square difference of the 36 monthly figures, precipitation weighted so an inch counts like 6°F.
Questions about Cook's climate
What is the coldest month in Cook?
January, with a normal high of 15°F and a normal low of −5°F. The warmest is July (77°F by day, 56°F at night).
Does it snow in Cook?
Yes: 61 inches in a normal year, falling on 51 days with 0.1 inch or more, the most in December (15.1 inches).
What is the rainiest month in Cook?
July, with 4.50 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is February with 0.72 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Cook in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Cook in zone 3b in ZIP code 55703, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come in Cook?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after May 12; in one year in ten it comes after May 29. Waiting until May 29 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Minnesota climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Tower, MN14 miles from this station, 36.9°F a year
- Orr, MN15 miles from this station, 35.6°F a year
- Embarrass, MN22 miles from this station, 36.4°F a year
- Celina (2 mi E), MN23 miles from this station, 37.0°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made