Ely, Minnesota climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Ely's normal year runs from −4°F January nights to 77°F July afternoons. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 3.7°C, January lows of −20°C, July highs of 25°C.
- NOAA stationEly
- Station IDUSC00212561
- Location47.91°N 91.83°W
- Elevation1,475 ft (450 m)
- Population3,214
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Ely.
- Jan 16° -4°
- Feb 22° 0°
- Mar 36° 14°
- Apr 49° 27°
- May 63° 41°
- Jun 72° 51°
- Jul 77° 56°
- Aug 75° 55°
- Sep 66° 46°
- Oct 51° 33°
- Nov 35° 20°
- Dec 21° 4°
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 Ely each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 77°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of −4°F.
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 16°F | −4°F | 6.4°F | – | <1 | 31 | 8 h 50 min |
| February | 22°F | 0°F | 11.0°F | – | <1 | 28 | 10 h 10 min |
| March | 36°F | 14°F | 25.1°F | – | <1 | 29 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 49°F | 27°F | 37.9°F | – | <1 | 23 | 13 h 40 min |
| May | 63°F | 41°F | 51.6°F | – | <1 | 5 | 15 h 10 min |
| June | 72°F | 51°F | 61.3°F | – | <1 | <1 | 16 h |
| July | 77°F | 56°F | 66.5°F | – | 1 | <1 | 15 h 40 min |
| August | 75°F | 55°F | 65.1°F | – | <1 | <1 | 14 h 20 min |
| September | 66°F | 46°F | 56.0°F | – | <1 | 1 | 12 h 40 min |
| October | 51°F | 33°F | 42.2°F | – | <1 | 15 | 11 h |
| November | 35°F | 20°F | 27.1°F | – | <1 | 26 | 9 h 20 min |
| December | 21°F | 4°F | 12.9°F | – | <1 | 31 | 8 h 30 min |
| Year (annual) | 49°F | 29°F | 38.6°F | – | 2 | 189 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | −9°C | −20°C | −14.2°C |
| February | −5°C | −18°C | −11.7°C |
| March | 2°C | −10°C | −3.8°C |
| April | 10°C | −3°C | 3.3°C |
| May | 17°C | 5°C | 10.9°C |
| June | 22°C | 10°C | 16.3°C |
| July | 25°C | 13°C | 19.2°C |
| August | 24°C | 13°C | 18.4°C |
| September | 19°C | 8°C | 13.3°C |
| October | 11°C | 1°C | 5.7°C |
| November | 1°C | −7°C | −2.7°C |
| December | −6°C | −15°C | −10.6°C |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. Ely's own co-op station Ely station does: 65 inches of snow in a normal year (see the other stations below).
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00212561; 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 Ely?
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 USC00212561.
When is the last frost in Ely?
In Ely, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after May 14 in half of years and after May 30 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before September 29 in half of years and before September 16 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 141 year in 10 after May 30; 9 in 10 after May 2
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- September 291 year in 10 before September 16; 9 in 10 before October 10
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 135 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 157 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after May 3 in half of springs and before October 8 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Ely in zone 3b in ZIP code 55796, 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 USC00212561; 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 Ely?
In a normal year in Ely, 2 days a year reach 90°F and 189 nights fall to 32°F or colder.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 2a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 189a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 108high of 32°F or less
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00212561.
How sunny is Ely?
Over a year 69% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Ely, 3.5 kWh per square metre a day. July is the sunniest month (78%) and December the cloudiest (55%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 58% | 1.2 |
| February | 63% | 2.1 |
| March | 66% | 3.3 |
| April | 69% | 4.6 |
| May | 69% | 5.4 |
| June | 71% | 5.9 |
| July | 78% | 6.1 |
| August | 77% | 5.1 |
| September | 72% | 3.7 |
| October | 63% | 2.3 |
| November | 57% | 1.3 |
| December | 55% | 0.9 |
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 Ely need?
A normal year in Ely brings 9,800 heating degree days, 82% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 209 cooling degree days, 77% fewer than the median (908). Eight months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 1,733 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,818 | 0 |
| February | 1,513 | 0 |
| March | 1,237 | 0 |
| April | 812 | 0 |
| May | 424 | 7 |
| June | 142 | 29 |
| July | 44 | 90 |
| August | 66 | 69 |
| September | 286 | 14 |
| October | 707 | 0 |
| November | 1,137 | 0 |
| December | 1,615 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 9,800 | 209 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00212561. 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 Ely been warmer than normal lately?
2023 averaged 39.8°F, 1.2°F above the 1991-2020 normal of 38.6°F.
| Year | Mean | Against normal |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 39.8°F | +1.2°F |
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USC00212561. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does Ely's climate compare?
Ely is warmer than 14 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 38.6°F is warmer than 4%.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers.
Which places near Ely share this climate record?
Winton has no NOAA station with 1991-2020 normals of its 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.
- Winton, MN163 people · 2 mi NE
Source: Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer (place centers) and Vintage 2024 population estimates. Distance and direction from the station to each place's center.
What do Ely's other NOAA stations record?
2 more NOAA stations keep 1991-2020 normals in or near Ely. This page uses Ely; the others differ by site and elevation:
| Station | From this station | Elevation | Year | Jan low | Jul high | Precip. | Snow | Last frost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ely (25 mi E) USC00212555 | 18 mi E | 1,444 ft | 37.0°F | −7°F | 77°F | 28.0 | 77 | May 21 |
| Ely station USC00212543 | 2 mi NW | 1,382 ft | 37.9°F | −7°F | 79°F | 31.3 | 65 | May 24 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for each station. Last frost: the median last spring date of 32°F.
Questions about Ely's climate
What is the coldest month in Ely?
January, with a normal high of 16°F and a normal low of −4°F. The warmest is July (77°F by day, 56°F at night).
Does it snow in Ely?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for Ely's NOAA station; Ely's own co-op station Ely station records 65 inches of snow in a normal year.
What plant hardiness zone is Ely in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Ely in zone 3b in ZIP code 55796, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come in Ely?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after May 14; in one year in ten it comes after May 30. Waiting until May 30 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Minnesota climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Babbitt, MN14 miles from this station, 36.7°F a year
- Tower, MN22 miles from this station, 36.9°F a year
- Isabella (14 mi W), MN23 miles from this station, 37.2°F a year
- Embarrass, MN26 miles from this station, 36.4°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made