Climate Comfort Score
44/100
Moderate
NOAA 1991–2020 normals 45°F annual avg Public-domain federal data
Forest Lake, MN Climate
Explore average temperature, rainfall, and comfort score sourced from NOAA NCEI's 1991–2020 climate normals →
- 45°F
- Avg annual temp
- 44/100
- Comfort score
- 33.1"
- Annual precip
- 155d
- Growing season
30-year climate normals from 1 weather station (1991-2020).
The climate verdict for Forest Lake
Forest Lake, Minnesota averages 45°F a year and scores 44/100 on the comfort index - moderate, milder than 8% of U.S. cities.
- 45°F
- yearly average temperature, NOAA normal
- 44/100
- comfort score, milder than 8% of U.S. cities
- 33.1"
- annual precipitation · 52" snow
- 155 days
- growing season, frost-free days
Based on NOAA U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020) - 30-year averages describing the typical year, not a forecast.
Avg Temperature
45°F (7°C)
Avg High
56°F
Avg Low
34°F
Annual Precip
33.1"
Annual Snow
51.6"
Comfort Score
44/100
Moderate
Avg Annual Temperature
45°F
30-year mean (NOAA NCEI)
Annual Precipitation
33.1"
Plus 51.6" of snow
Comfort score vs national 100-point ceiling (Forest Lake) 44.0%
National median (63)
PlainClimate composite, temperature mildness, humidity, precipitation, extreme-weather frequency. Moderate for the Forest Lake area.
How Forest Lake compares to every U.S. city
Forest Lake's comfort score vs. all U.S. cities
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
44 Top 92% higher than 8% of 6,915 US cities
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, PlainClimate comfort index · 1991–2020
Warming context for Forest Lake
MethodologyHow the U.S. land temperature anomaly tracks against the global mean since 1900. The current NOAA 1991-2020 normal for Forest Lake captures average conditions across the spread shown, the most recent decade is warmer than the 30-year mean.
- United States land mean (NOAA NCEI) +0.11 °C/decade
- Global anomaly (NASA GISTEMP) +0.11 °C/decade
- Paris Agreement thresholds 1.5°C / 2.0°C
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Snow | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24°F (-4°C) | 3°F (-16°C) | 14°F (-10°C) | 0.9" | 9.6" | 30.9 | 0.0 |
| February | 30°F (-1°C) | 6°F (-14°C) | 18°F (-8°C) | 0.9" | 9.3" | 27.3 | 0.0 |
| March | 43°F (6°C) | 19°F (-7°C) | 31°F (-1°C) | 1.7" | 9.2" | 26.0 | 0.0 |
| April | 58°F (14°C) | 33°F (0°C) | 45°F (7°C) | 3.0" | 3.7" | 12.9 | 0.0 |
| May | 70°F (21°C) | 45°F (7°C) | 58°F (14°C) | 4.4" | 0.0" | 1.5 | 0.9 |
| June | 79°F (26°C) | 56°F (13°C) | 68°F (20°C) | 4.5" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 2.8 |
| July | 83°F (29°C) | 60°F (16°C) | 72°F (22°C) | 4.7" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 5.8 |
| August | 82°F (28°C) | 58°F (15°C) | 70°F (21°C) | 4.0" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 3.5 |
| September | 74°F (23°C) | 50°F (10°C) | 62°F (17°C) | 3.2" | 0.0" | 0.5 | 1.2 |
| October | 60°F (16°C) | 37°F (3°C) | 49°F (9°C) | 2.9" | 0.6" | 8.0 | 0.0 |
| November | 43°F (6°C) | 24°F (-5°C) | 33°F (1°C) | 1.8" | 7.4" | 23.0 | 0.0 |
| December | 29°F (-2°C) | 11°F (-12°C) | 20°F (-7°C) | 1.2" | 11.8" | 30.4 | 0.0 |
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
January 0.9"
Snow: 9.6"
8.2 days with precipitation
February 0.9"
Snow: 9.3"
6.0 days with precipitation
March 1.7"
Snow: 9.2"
7.5 days with precipitation
April 3.0"
Snow: 3.7"
9.7 days with precipitation
May 4.4"
11.6 days with precipitation
June 4.5"
12.5 days with precipitation
July 4.7"
10.8 days with precipitation
August 4.0"
10.3 days with precipitation
September 3.2"
9.8 days with precipitation
October 2.9"
Snow: 0.6"
10.1 days with precipitation
November 1.8"
Snow: 7.4"
6.9 days with precipitation
December 1.2"
Snow: 11.8"
8.3 days with precipitation
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
October 5
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
May 3
50% probability date
Growing Season
155 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
7,917
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
612
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
What Forest Lake's climate means for you
Forest Lake runs 45°F a year - peaking in July, coldest in January.
- Gardeners get about 155 frost-free days, with the last spring freeze near May 3 - plan the planting calendar around it, not the regional average.
- Energy bills track 7,917 heating and 612 cooling degree days a year, higher means the furnace or AC runs more.
- Comparing places to live? Line this city up against nearby cities and the national rankings. See rankings
These are 30-year NOAA normals (1991–2020) - the typical year, not a forecast for any specific season.
Climate Guides
Climate Insight: Forest Lake, MN
The NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals describe Forest Lake, Minnesota as a location with an annual average temperature of 45°F, ranging from a mean daily high of 56°F to a mean daily low of 34°F. July is typically the warmest month of the year, while January is the coldest. These thirty-year averages, computed from station USC00212881, smooth out year-to-year variability and give a baseline expectation for typical conditions in any given month.
Beyond temperature, Forest Lake averages 33.1 inches of precipitation annually, with 51.6 inches typically falling as snow - a real factor for anyone planning to live, garden, or travel here. The frost-free season averages 155 days, which directly shapes the planting calendar and growing potential for the area, with the last spring freeze near May 3 and the first fall freeze near October 5. Turning to energy use, 7,917 heating degree days and 612 cooling degree days tell the story of how often furnaces and air conditioners run during a normal year.
On PlainClimate's composite comfort index, Forest Lake scores 44/100 (Moderate), a blended measure that weighs temperature mildness, precipitation moderation, and extreme-weather frequency against one another. Use the monthly tables above to plan around specific windows, shoulder seasons for mild highs and lows, peak summer for July-driven heat, or deep winter for January-driven cold. All figures here are thirty-year averages: any single year may run warmer, wetter, drier, or cooler than the normal, so treat them as planning guidance rather than forecasts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average temperature in Forest Lake, MN? ▼
The average annual temperature in Forest Lake, Minnesota is 45°F. The warmest month averages 83°F (29°C) and the coldest averages 3°F (-16°C).
How much rain does Forest Lake get? ▼
Forest Lake receives 33.1 inches of precipitation annually, including 51.6 inches of snow. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991-2020).
What is the comfort score for Forest Lake? ▼
Forest Lake has a climate comfort score of 44/100 (Moderate), milder than 8% of U.S. cities in the PlainClimate database.
When is the growing season in Forest Lake? ▼
Forest Lake has approximately 155 frost-free days per year, with the last spring freeze around May 3 and the first fall freeze around October 5.
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Forest Lake? ▼
Forest Lake has 7,917 heating degree days and 612 cooling degree days annually, a heating-dominated climate. See our <a href="/guides/reading-weather-data/" class="underline hover:text-brand-600">guide to reading weather data</a> for what these figures mean.
Where does this Forest Lake climate data come from? ▼
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020), from weather station USC00212881 near Forest Lake.
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). Station: USC00212881. For informational purposes only.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainClimate Editorial
Every figure on PlainClimate is rendered directly from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.