Cotton, Minnesota climate: Climate normals at a NOAA weather station
Cotton's normal year runs from −5°F January nights to 78°F July afternoons, with 29.2 inches of precipitation a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 3.3°C, January lows of −21°C, July highs of 25°C, 741 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationCotton
- Station IDUSC00211840
- Location47.17°N 92.46°W
- Elevation1,323 ft (403 m)
On October 23, the normal high in Cotton is 48°F and the normal low 29°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Cotton.
- Jan 18° -5°
- Feb 25° -4°
- Mar 37° 12°
- Apr 50° 25°
- May 64° 38°
- Jun 73° 48°
- Jul 78° 52°
- Aug 76° 50°
- Sep 67° 43°
- Oct 52° 32°
- Nov 37° 18°
- Dec 24° 3°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
What is the weather like at Cotton each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 78°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of −5°F. The most precipitation falls in June (4.48 in), the least in January (0.73 in).
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 18°F | −5°F | 6.4°F | 0.73 | – | <1 | 31 | 8 h 50 min |
| February | 25°F | −4°F | 10.5°F | 0.85 | – | <1 | 28 | 10 h 20 min |
| March | 37°F | 12°F | 24.6°F | 1.13 | – | <1 | 30 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 50°F | 25°F | 37.5°F | 2.30 | – | <1 | 25 | 13 h 30 min |
| May | 64°F | 38°F | 50.8°F | 3.21 | – | <1 | 10 | 15 h |
| June | 73°F | 48°F | 60.6°F | 4.48 | – | 1 | 2 | 15 h 50 min |
| July | 78°F | 52°F | 64.9°F | 4.19 | – | 1 | <1 | 15 h 30 min |
| August | 76°F | 50°F | 62.8°F | 3.61 | – | 1 | <1 | 14 h 20 min |
| September | 67°F | 43°F | 55.3°F | 3.38 | – | <1 | 6 | 12 h 40 min |
| October | 52°F | 32°F | 41.9°F | 2.71 | – | <1 | 18 | 11 h |
| November | 37°F | 18°F | 27.2°F | 1.50 | – | <1 | 27 | 9 h 20 min |
| December | 24°F | 3°F | 13.6°F | 1.09 | – | <1 | 31 | 8 h 30 min |
| Year (annual) | 50°F | 26°F | 38.0°F | 29.18 | – | 3 | 207 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −8°C | −21°C | −14.2°C | 19 mm |
| February | −4°C | −20°C | −11.9°C | 22 mm |
| March | 3°C | −11°C | −4.1°C | 29 mm |
| April | 10°C | −4°C | 3.1°C | 58 mm |
| May | 18°C | 3°C | 10.4°C | 82 mm |
| June | 23°C | 9°C | 15.9°C | 114 mm |
| July | 25°C | 11°C | 18.3°C | 106 mm |
| August | 24°C | 10°C | 17.1°C | 92 mm |
| September | 20°C | 6°C | 12.9°C | 86 mm |
| October | 11°C | 0°C | 5.5°C | 69 mm |
| November | 3°C | −8°C | −2.7°C | 38 mm |
| December | −4°C | −16°C | −10.2°C | 28 mm |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Floodwood (23 miles away), gets 56 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00211840; 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.
Which months are mildest at Cotton?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in 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 USC00211840.
When is the last frost at Cotton?
In Cotton, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after May 27 in half of years and after June 11 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before September 20 in half of years and before September 4 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 271 year in 10 after June 11; 9 in 10 after May 9
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- September 201 year in 10 before September 4; 9 in 10 before October 3
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 115 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 139 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after May 14 in half of springs and before October 1 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Cotton in zone 3b in ZIP code 55724, 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 USC00211840; 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 at Cotton?
In a normal year in Cotton, 3 days a year reach 90°F and 207 nights fall to 32°F or colder.
- 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
- 207a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 95high of 32°F or less
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00211840.
How sunny is it at Cotton?
Over a year 71% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds at Cotton, 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 many heating and cooling degree days does Cotton record?
A normal year at Cotton brings 9,969 heating degree days, 86% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 174 cooling degree days, 81% 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 1,559 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,818 | 0 |
| February | 1,526 | 0 |
| March | 1,253 | 0 |
| April | 825 | 0 |
| May | 446 | 7 |
| June | 166 | 34 |
| July | 74 | 72 |
| August | 113 | 46 |
| September | 305 | 14 |
| October | 716 | 0 |
| November | 1,134 | 0 |
| December | 1,593 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 9,969 | 174 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00211840. 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 Cotton's climate compare?
Cotton is warmer than 9 of the 129 places with their own NOAA record in Minnesota, and wetter than 50. 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, Cotton 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 Cotton's climate
What is the coldest month at Cotton?
January, with a normal high of 18°F and a normal low of −5°F. The warmest is July (78°F by day, 52°F at night).
Does it snow at Cotton?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for the station; the nearest record that keeps one, Floodwood (23 miles away), records 56 inches of snow in a normal year.
What is the rainiest month at Cotton?
June, with 4.48 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is January with 0.73 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Cotton in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Cotton in zone 3b in ZIP code 55724, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come at Cotton?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after May 27; in one year in ten it comes after June 11. Waiting until June 11 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Minnesota climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Eveleth, MN21 miles from this station, 38.9°F a year
- Island Lake (4 mi E), MN21 miles from this station, 38.9°F a year
- Hibbing, MN23 miles from this station, 36.9°F a year
- Floodwood, MN24 miles from this station, 38.4°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made